


Glow

by YlvaUllsdotter



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 18+, Amnesia, Angst, Canon language, Case Fic, Coitus, Coma, Cunnilingus, Dean Gives Oral Sex, Dean Winchester - Freeform, Dreamwalking, Eventual Smut, F/M, Faeries - Freeform, Fanfiction, Magical Coma, Memory Loss, NSFW, Oberon - Freeform, Original Character - Freeform, Original Female Character - Freeform, Phoenix (OFC) - Freeform, Rowena MacLeod - Freeform, SPN - Freeform, Sam Winchester - Freeform, Sex, Shower Sex, Slow Burn (Sort Of), Smut, Supernatural - Freeform, Trauma, Vaginal Sex, Witchcraft, canon violence, faerie - Freeform, intercourse, witch curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-04-14 12:02:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 32,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14135652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YlvaUllsdotter/pseuds/YlvaUllsdotter
Summary: Phoenix has been hunting alone for years when Garth puts her in touch with the Winchesters. Becoming friends, the brothers stand by Phoenix when things go sideways during a witch hunt. The three hunters embark on a quest to find the truth about what happened all those years ago.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by a prompt from [@witterprompts](http://witterprompts.tumblr.com/post/172140467143/you-know-what-im-not-lying-why-would-i-i) on Tumblr. It almost literally just popped into my head the moment I read the prompt, and this is the result. Most of the fic is kinda angsty with a side of fluff. The rating is for the last chapter. 
> 
> Header by [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/) who is a literal angel for creating this masterpiece for my crappy little fic. I love you, sweetheart.

 

An orphan child is found wandering the streets of Phoenix, AZ. Taken in by a loving family, she is given the name Phoenix, after the city where she was found. What no one knows is that Phoenix can see what others cannot. Her whole life she is aware of what others choose to overlook - the monsters hiding in the dark - and she knows she needs to prepare. On her eighteenth birthday, she is ready. For twenty years, she travels the whole North-American continent hunting down monsters, protecting all the blissfully unaware people. People like the family that took her in and raised her.

When a witch hunt goes wrong, Phoenix calls the Winchesters for help. Trying to figure out how to help her, Phoenix and the brothers are forced to embark on a quest to unravel the past and find the truth about who Phoenix really is.

 


	2. Phoenix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet our heroine, Phoenix, and follow her through her first meeting with the Winchester brothers.

The black Harley Sportster rumbled up to the crime scene, the sound of the engine drowning out the sound of the tires crunching through the forest floor debris, drawing the attention of anyone in earshot. The rider cut the engine and slid off the bike. Standing next to it, hands gloved in tight-fitting black leather reached up to remove the helmet, releasing a cascade of honey-colored hair that fell to frame a delicately featured heart-shaped face with full lips, a button nose, and piercing green eyes. Unzipping her leather jacket as she walked up to the police line, she reached in and produced an ID wallet, holding it up to the two cops guarding the crime scene. They waved her through, lifting the tape to let her pass, unaware of the small smile of satisfaction that briefly played over her lips.

The woman followed the small flags designating the path to the actual body, down the slope from the path. She already knew what they were dealing with, and it was not something the police were equipped to handle. The body was in full view, no attempt to hide it. The chest ripped open, as she expected. The ID in her hand granted her access and she walked around the body, noting the signs. A quick question to the coroner confirmed the body was found without a heart.

The wooded area was typical, so was the victim - a lone man, probably out for an early morning jog in the area. No witnesses and she already knew it was a full moon, all of which pointed to a single young werewolf, one that had yet to pick up the skills it needed to stay under the radar. Heading back through the trees, she made her way to her bike, checking her supply of silver bullets unnecessarily, before getting back on her bike. She had a pretty good idea of where the thing was holed up, she just needed to wait for nightfall to track and kill it.

* * *

 Just after one o’clock in the morning, she sauntered into the local watering hole. It had been another easy hunt, and she just wanted to relax and take some of the edge off the adrenaline still pumping through her veins. A couple of shots of whiskey would do the trick. Standing by the bar, leaning against the darkened wood, she studied herself in the mirror that covered the wall behind the bottles of alcohol.

She had known, pretty much all her life, what lurked in the dark, and she had prepared well for hunting them. It had been almost twenty years now since she took off. Twenty years of living on the road, going from one crime scene to the next, killing the monsters to keep safe the people who were unaware of the reality. That all the evil monsters anyone could imagine are actually real.

Tossing back a second shot, she dropped a couple of bills on the bar and headed out, back to her motel room. She already had a lead on another case and was set on leaving early the next morning. Back at the room, sitting on the edge of the bed, she shot off a text.

 

* * *

 As the bike rumbled along the two-lane blacktop the next day, the hunter went over in her mind the information she had gathered. One dead, two missing. What had drawn her attention was that the body they found had been drained of blood, and appeared to have some sort of bite marks that no one was able to identify. She was fairly certain it was a vampire, the two missing probably being kept alive for feeding on. If she worked fast enough, she may even be able to save them.

It was late afternoon when she rolled into town along Main Street. ‘ _Welcome to Small Town, U.S.A.’,_ she thought sarcastically to herself as she scanned the street for a place to stay the night. She chose the no-star motel on the outskirts of town, preferring anonymity to comfort. Using the same alias as last time, she paid for the room with her fake credit card. After leaving her things in the room, she took a stroll through town to get a feel for the place.

The town was, as far as she could tell, laid out in a grid pattern, the main street dividing it right down the middle, with side streets branching out from it. All the businesses appeared to be along the main street while the side streets held residences. Flannel and denim seemed to be the fabrics of choice, so she stood out like a sore thumb in her black leather. Not that that bothered her, she was used to being the odd one out.

Pleased, and somewhat surprised, when she found an actual bar, she went to go in, only to find the doors locked. Frowning, she looked around, locating a sign proclaiming opening hours to be after nine p.m. She huffed and, after a glance at her watch, decided to see if the Sheriff was still on duty.

He was, as it turned out. He was also a major bag of dicks, treating her like a child. In her mind, she called him a misogynistic pig, while she forced a smile and still got what she wanted, which was to get a look at the reports about the crime scenes. Her fake badge finally got her copies of all the files, including photos, and she managed to get out of the Sheriff’s office without punching him in the face, which she counted as a win. Bringing the files with her, she headed back to the motel and her room.

With reports and photos spread all over the floor, she tried to piece together a pattern, attempting to track the vampire through its movements. When she had gone through all the reports, she thought she had narrowed her options to two abandoned properties, one on the outskirts of town and the other a farm about half a mile outside of it.

With practiced movements, she strapped on the back sheath for her machete and stuck a couple of syringes of dead man’s blood into a side pocket, before heading out to investigate both locations. With any luck, she would have the vampire put down before midnight.

It was full dark when she arrived at the abandoned property outside of town, after determining the other house was in fact empty. She cut the engine as soon as the buildings came into view, not wanting to announce her arrival, and proceeded on foot.

She checked the outbuildings first, a collapsing barn and a shed with a caved in roof. Finding nothing there, she approached what had been the farmhouse but was now just a shell, four walls barely deserving to be called a house. The windows were haphazardly boarded up, glass long since gone, and the doors were just gaping holes into darkness.

As she moved around the structure, trying to get a sense for if the vamp was there, she heard muffled voices. Following the sound, she crouched by a basement window, boarded up like the rest of them. A weak light was filtering through the cracks in the boards, flickering as if from an open flame. Leaning in, she found a crack large enough to give her a fair view of the inside, and she cursed silently.

The room was large, most of it hidden in shadows, and in the circle of light cast by a candle lantern, she could clearly see the two missing people tied up back to back. Worse though, she could also see a literal handful of vampires having a heated discussion closer to the lantern. There was no way she could take on five vampires on her own. She was good, but there was risky, and then there was suicidal.

Careful to not make any suspicious noises, she crept back from the house, then made her way back to the bike quickly. Pulling out her phone, she sent off another message.

About ten minutes later, her phone vibrated. She had been pushing her bike toward the road, wanting to be farther from the vampires before starting her up. Garth had come through, as always.

She slipped the phone back into her pocket and straddled her bike. She had a little less than 24 hours to kill and there was a bar she wanted to visit. Hopefully, the captives would still be alive tomorrow. If not, well, she would make sure their deaths were avenged.

* * *

Dean was surprised to see Garth’s number pop up on his phone and waved Sam over before he answered.

“Garth? What’s up, man?”

“Hey, Dean. You and Sam busy?”

“Not particularly. Why?”

“Got a call about a hunter needing backup to take out a vamp nest in Colorado, it’s not far from you guys if you’re up for it?”

“Always up for chopping heads.” Dean grinned, as Sam chimed in.

“Who’s this hunter, Garth?”

“Hey, Sam.” Garth’s voice lifted in its perpetually friendly way as he greeted the younger hunter. “It’s a friend, goes by Phoenix. Usually takes on single monsters.”

“Phoenix? Dean, didn’t some of the hunters at Asa’s talk about a hunter called Phoenix?”

“Uhm...I honestly don’t remember, Sammy. I was kinda busy trying to stay alive at the time.”

Sam’s face screwed up in concentration as he mentally ran through the evening in question. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I heard the name.”

“Whatever. I’m in, Garth.”

“Yeah, of course, I’ll come, too.”

“Great. It’s about a four and a half hour drive from your place, I’ll let ‘em know to meet you at,” he paused and they could hear as he tapped on a keyboard, “there’s a bar called McCracken’s Tavern, on Main Avenue in Akron, that seems to be closest to the coordinates I got. That good for you?”

“Sure, that works.” Dean glanced over at Sam, who nodded.

“Awesome. I’ll set up the meet for around nine o’clock tomorrow night then. And guys...Good luck.”

“No problem, buddy.” Dean ended the call and let the phone drop on the table, Sam already on his laptop to find any information about the town and the case.

Giving his brother some time, Dean poured each of them a drink before taking a seat across the table from Sam and waiting for him to finish.

“Ok, so get this, there is actually a case here. I can see how Phoenix might have thought it was only a single vamp, only one dead and two missing so far. I guess, since it turned out to be a nest, they just moved in, haven’t had time to rack up a body count.”

Dean swirled the whiskey around in his glass and nodded. “So what did you hear about this guy?”

“I’m not sure. I remember hearing the name, but the way people were talking about Asa, and us….” Sam raised his eyebrows.

“Hm. So you think he’s some kind of hunter legend?”

“I dunno. I guess. Maybe?”

“Doesn’t matter, I guess. Vamps need killin’, so we’ll kill ‘em. Right?”

“Yeah.” Sam was back to staring at his laptop screen, a slight frown creasing his forehead. “If we’re gonna be there around nine p.m. … with the way you drive, even if we stop on the way, we don’t have to leave before three-thirty.”

“Great. I can sleep in.” Dean smirked and downed the last of his drink. “And on that note, I’m gonna hit the sack. ‘Night, Sammy.”

“Yeah, ok. ‘night, Dean.”

A few minutes after three-thirty p.m. the next day, the black Impala rolled out of the Bunker’s garage and turned west toward Colorado. The brothers took it easy, stopping a couple of times for fuel, for the car and for them. It was still a little before nine p.m. when they rolled into Akron, wondering briefly if they had found a ghost town as they drove through. They spotted the bar almost on the other side of town and pulled in to park on the street.

It was still early in the evening, but even so, the bar was almost empty. A couple of regulars rode their stools at the bar, the jukebox music almost echoing off the walls in the room. All three people turned to give the Winchesters a once-over as they entered, and they exchanged nods as the brothers bellied up to the bar. With the prospect of a hunt, they both stuck to beer, leaning on the bar in silence while keeping an eye on the door.

Just after nine, Dean perked up when a stunning woman walked into the bar. She looked like Badass Biker Barbie, although he was too fond of life to ever tell her that to her face. Both brothers were surprised when she scanned the room and immediately came right up to them.

“Winchesters?”

Dean was too taken with the sound of her voice to answer, so Sam did.

“Yeah. You’re Phoenix?”

“Yep, that’s me.” She held out her hand and Sam shook it. When she turned to Dean he had recovered enough to respond appropriately. Sam rolled his eyes when he noticed his brother’s reaction, and took control of the conversation.

“So, a nest?”

“Yeah. Caught the case right after I finished off a werewolf a day’s ride south of here. Thought it was a loner, but I guess I was wrong.” She leaned her hip casually against the bar, one arm loosely propped on the dark wood, the other in her back pocket.

“I looked it up after Garth called and I can see how it might have looked that way. Probably just got here, so they haven’t had time to stir things up yet.” Sam’s tone was businesslike as he relayed the information.

“Yeah, I figured. So, you guys ready?”

“Oh, you wanna go now?” Sam turned to his brother. “We can go now. Right, Dean?”

“Sure. Always a good time for decapitations.” Dean’s smirk was firmly in place, betraying none of how nervous he actually was in the presence of this goddess. A feeling that only got worse when she completely ignored his attempts at charming her, giving him an almost disdainful look before looking back at Sam.

“Great. I’ll lead the way, you guys follow.” She tapped the bar lightly as she turned and headed for the door.

The brothers left their beers, Sam throwing a couple of bills on the bar while making a bitchface at Dean’s back before following the other two outside. He spotted her almost immediately as she pulled on a helmet and straddled a motorcycle on the other side of the street. They slid into the Impala and she rumbled to life right away, Dean pulling out after Phoenix and following her single tail light down the road.

“I call dibs.” Dean glanced at his brother, a cocky smirk on his lips.

“Jesus, Dean, what are you? Twelve?” Sam huffed. “Besides, you wouldn’t stand a chance with a woman like that. She’s way out of your league.”

“What? Have you met me?”

“Yeah, Dean. My point stands.”

“Whatever.” Dean pouted and focused on driving.

In only a few minutes, they were pulling into the gravel road leading to the not-so-abandoned farm. Phoenix parked her bike, the guys pulling up next to her. She waited as patiently as she could while they armed themselves out of the arsenal in their trunk. To avoid surprises, the three of them spread out and checked over the outbuildings and the rest of the farm before converging on the house, Phoenix leading them to the basement doors she had found at the back of it.

Using hand signals, Dean sent Sam around to the front of the house, while he went in the back, leaving Phoenix to hold down the fort by the doors in case the vampires made a run for it. She nodded agreement while silently planning to join them through those doors as soon as they were in the basement.

Sam and Dean checked the house from top to bottom before heading for the open doorway leading down to the basement. The flickering light of the lantern’s candle could be seen at the bottom of the stairs and they descended single file, Dean in the lead.

Dean crouched down to get a look at the room, finding the vampires lounging on various seats in the circle of light. From Phoenix’s report, he had to assume this was all of them, as he counted five vamps. One of them was busy feeding, the body no longer moving.

The light from the lantern stopped short of the stairs, leaving Dean and Sam in shadows so far. They took full advantage and got as close as they could. The vampire nearest them suddenly sat up and sniffed the air. Before he had time to do anything more, Dean lunged and decapitated him in a single swing, the head rolling off to stop at the feet of the vampire closest to the light.

Sam followed Dean, and they each headed for a vampire, Dean giving a shout to draw their attention away from Sam. Both of them heard the creak and crash as the doors from the outside were wrenched open. Then Phoenix was there, chopping the heads off the two remaining vamps in movements so fluid and graceful it was more like a dance.

The brothers were still staring when she quickly wiped her blade and sheathed it, running over to the body laid out on the floor. A sharp curse from her told them that one did not make it, and she moved to the other one, a woman. When Phoenix started to frantically pull at the ropes restraining the victim, Dean started into action, using his blade to cut the ropes.

“Can you guys take her in your car? Normally I’d leave her for the police to find, but since you’re here….”

“Yeah, sure,” Dean replied and lifted the unconscious woman as gently as he could, after sheathing his machete. They all exited the way Phoenix had entered, it being the shortest route back to their vehicles. Dean carefully laid the woman out in the backseat of the Impala, then turned to Phoenix.

“You...uh...you wanna meet up...I mean, after we drop her off,” he gestured vaguely toward the car, “maybe we could have a drink at that bar?”

Phoenix looked him over, her eyes raking from his short, dirty blond, hair down to his scuffed boots then came back up to bore into his.

“Maybe some other time.” She grabbed her helmet as she straddled the bike. “I’ll call this in while you guys get her some help. Then I’m outta here.” With that, she slipped the helmet on, kicked the bike in gear, and rolled out of there. She paused before she rolled onto the blacktop, lifting one arm in a wave without looking back, then rumbled off in the opposite direction of Akron.

Dean was still staring at her when Sam slammed the trunk shut and moved up to get in the car.

“Dean!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dean slid in behind the wheel, the engine roaring to life. Maybe Sam was right. Maybe she was out of his league. He could dream, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofread by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/profile). Crossposted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/).


	3. One Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year goes by, as Phoenix and the Winchesters become friends.

_“Maybe some other time.” She grabbed her helmet as she straddled the bike. “I’ll call this in while you guys get her some help. Then I’m outta here.” With that, she slipped the helmet on, kicked the bike in gear, and rolled out of there. She paused before she rolled onto the blacktop, lifting one arm in a wave without looking back, then rumbled off in the opposite direction of Akron._

_Dean was still staring after her when Sam slammed the trunk shut and moved up to get in the car._

_“Dean!”_

_“Yeah, yeah.” Dean slid in behind the wheel, the engine roaring to life. Maybe Sam was right. Maybe she was out of his league. He could dream, though._

* * *

It had been a month since the Winchesters met Phoenix and Dean had mostly resigned himself to never seeing her again. Life went on. When the text message came through, he nevertheless felt his heart skip a beat.

As soon as he sent the last confirmation, he quickly added the number to his contacts before going to find Sam in the library. Since it was still early, they decided to leave right away, getting packed and on the road within twenty minutes. Sam noticed Dean’s almost giddy demeanor but wisely chose not to comment.

Just outside Denver, they pulled into a motel to get a few hours of sleep. Sam felt like he had barely closed his eyes when Dean shook him awake and insisted they keep going. Just about twenty-four hours after receiving the text, Dean pulled into a parking spot near the coffee shop. Sam had sent a text to Phoenix when they entered Anaheim, and they spotted her black motorcycle on the side of the street as they walked up to the shop.

In her black leather, she was easy enough to spot, sitting alone at a table for four. Sam went to place their orders while Dean walked up to the table, discreetly trying to swallow around the lump in his throat. His memories of her did not do her justice. With the late afternoon sun coming in through the window, she almost appeared to glow. Giving himself a mental shake, he slid onto the chair opposite her and turned his smile on.

“Didn’t take you for someone who likes fancy coffee drinks.” Dean nodded toward the cup of something frothy in front of her.

“You’d be surprised how much you don’t know about me, Winchester.” The sound of her voice, even laced with sarcasm as it was, made his breath hitch and he cleared his throat to cover. They sat in silence until Sam came over with two large cups of coffee for the two of them.

“Hey, Phoenix. Good to see you again.” Sam gave her a warm smile as he sat down, pleasant as always.

“Good to see you too, Sam.” She returned his smile. When she turned it on Dean, it took on a slight edge of something he was at a loss to define. “Thanks for coming out all this way. I was going to call Garth, have him put some other hunters on this, but then I figured you might like to get in on the action.”

“I’m always down for a bit of action.” Dean almost cringed at his own words, especially when she just curled her lip up into a small sneer before going on.

“They’re holed up in the basement at the elementary school nearby, three of them as far as I’ve been able to see. I’m assuming you both have silver blades?” She was all business and chose to direct her question more at Sam than Dean.

“Yeah, we’ve got them in the trunk. You have the lamb’s blood?” Sam lowered his voice on the last part of the question, to avoid attracting attention.

“Got some from a butcher. It’s not fresh, but it’ll do.”

Dean was staying silent, letting the two of them figure out the logistics. He was content following someone else’s lead for once. Having seen Phoenix in action, he was confident she could handle herself. His eyes never left her though, as he sipped his coffee, riveted on her face, following the movements of her lips as she spoke. Sam had to nudge him to get his attention.

“What?”

“Have you heard a word we’ve been saying?” Sam gave him a frustrated bitchface.

“Sure. Djinn, elementary school. It’s all good.” Dean’s tone was flippant, earning him another bitchface from Sam and a sneer from Phoenix.

“Whatever. We’ll go in tonight,” she stated, then turned to Sam. “You’ve got the address, I’ll meet you guys there just before midnight.”

Sam nodded and she patted his shoulder as she passed him on her way out. Dean felt a tiny pang of jealousy even as he was turning to watch her through the window as she straddled the bike and rolled into traffic, disappearing around a corner. When he turned back, Sam had moved to the other side of the table and was watching him with a smirk.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Sam replied, without dropping the smirk.

Dean huffed and finished his coffee, standing to leave.

Sam found a Motel 6 not too far from the elementary school and they checked in, grabbing some sleep. Well before midnight, they were on the move again, the Impala rolling up to the school. Dean parked as far away from the school as possible, hoping the rumble of the engine would be dismissed as just another passing car. There was no sign of Phoenix’s bike, so Dean sent off a text to let her know where they were.

The brothers armed themselves with silver blades before approaching the building. At the door, they were joined by Phoenix, who pulled a small jar out of a pocket. They all coated their blades in the lamb’s blood, discarding the empty jar behind some bushes. Sam made quick work of the alarm and they entered the school. They found the stairs down to the basement immediately, moving single file down the stairs and through the bare cement hallway. Dean had managed to place himself in the lead, and he could feel Phoenix just behind him. Using hand signals, they split up, each taking a section of the basement. Five minutes later, they all converged on the boiler room door, the rest of the basement clear.

Dean held a hand up, signaling for the other two to hold while he leaned closer to the door. They could barely make out the distant muffled sound of voices from behind the door. Phoenix reached for the doorknob, gently testing it, careful of any noises. It turned under her hand, the door cracking open an inch. On the other side were shadows, but the shadows gave way to a low light farther inside the room. The voices were still muffled, too far away to make out words, but Dean held up three fingers to signal that he could make out three distinct voices. The other two both nodded and they slid carefully into the room.

Like most boiler rooms, this one, too, was filled with pipes and large containers of god-knows-what. The air in the room was slightly humid, probably from the small amounts of steam escaping out of various vents. As the three hunters moved farther into the room, the voices became more distinct. Phoenix nodded her head toward the opposite wall of the room, signaling the brothers that she intended to try and go around the djinn, and for the two of them to split up as well, one to flank on the other side and one to go directly at them.

Dean and Sam both nodded, Sam choosing the flank while Dean continued down the middle. His job would be to get the monsters’ attention while the other two came at them from the sides.

When the three djinn came into view, Dean blinked in surprise. They looked like a family, mom, dad, and a kid. Refocusing, Dean set his sights on the largest one, the male, intending to go for him first. Still hidden behind a stack of round metal containers, he peeked out to see the shadows of the other two, letting him know that they were in position.

With a heave, he toppled the stack of drums into the middle of the monster family meeting, one of them hitting the male on the shoulder when he was just a fraction too slow in turning away. Springing from his crouch, Dean leaped at his target, only peripherally aware of the other two taking on the remaining monsters. With the element of surprise on their side, the fight was brief. Within moments, all three monsters were dead on the floor, the blue light fading from their eyes.

“Well, that was easy.” Dean both sounded and looked cocky, even while his insides were still roiling. Sam rolled his eyes, while Phoenix huffed, the two of them turning to take care of the bodies. Luckily, the incinerator was still going and the disposal went without a hitch, Dean pitching in reluctantly.

“So. Drinks?” He looked over at Phoenix, trying his hardest to squelch the hope in his chest when she stopped to consider.

“Yeah, sure, why not.” Her response brought out Dean’s biggest grin and he quickly turned and headed out of the room to hide it. Behind him, Sam nudged Phoenix and made a face to apologize for his brother. She shrugged and gave him a small smile.

The djinn turned out to be just the first of many hunts together, the Winchesters and Phoenix making a great team. Dean was the one who broached the subject of Phoenix moving in with them, eight months after their first hunt together. She declined but was grateful for the offer. Even so, she spent a lot of time in the Bunker, taking full advantage of the massive amounts of lore available there. She also had to admit, it was nice to know she had a place to go.

When she caught wind of a solitary witch causing trouble in central Nebraska, she considered calling the brothers but decided against it. She had become too reliant on the Winchesters to back her up and she needed the occasional solo hunt to keep on her toes. Confident she could take care of a single witch, she rolled into Broken Bow, Nebraska right around lunchtime.

Flashing her FBI badge at the local cops, she got access to all the files she needed. She got copies of all the relevant information, stuck the file folders in her saddle bag and drove back the way she came, stopping at a café. It was fancier than she usually frequented, but it would do. Ordering coffee and a piece of pie, she spread the papers out on the table and went to work. Two cups of coffee later she was fairly certain she knew where the witch was operating from. All of the incidents had happened in an area that was centered on the local library, so that was her next stop.

Like all libraries, this one had a hushed quality, like every sound was muffled by layers of cotton. After a quick circuit of the main room, she took a seat at a table where she could see the entrance as well as the librarian’s desk. Phoenix was almost certain that the librarian was the witch and she settled in with a book, pretending to read, while she kept an eye on her target.

At closing time, Phoenix waited outside for the librarian, who came out about an hour later, got into a small compact car and drove off. Phoenix followed on her bike, keeping enough distance to hopefully not cause her target to become suspicious.

The car turned off the main road and headed into a residential area, finally pulling into the driveway of a perfectly normal single story home, white picket fence and all. Phoenix sneered but kept a close eye on the suspected witch. An hour later, she crept up to a window in the back of the house, peeking in carefully.

It was the only room in the house where the light was still on and she could see a perfectly normal kitchen, with perfectly normal appliances and perfectly normal cabinets, and a perfectly normal kitchen table. The stuff spread out all over the table was everything but perfectly normal though. From what Phoenix could see, the witch was working some kind of spell, but the hunter could make out no more.

Not wanting the witch to cause any more mayhem, Phoenix spun around and rushed to the door leading into the kitchen. She kicked it down, not even checking if it was unlocked, and took a shot at the witch. Unfortunately, the witch had apparently taken on some freaky speed powers because it managed to dodge the bullet. From the other side of the kitchen, a bolt of red light shot toward Phoenix, who closed her eyes fully expecting to die or get turned into a frog or something equally terrible. At a shocked gasp from the witch, Phoenix looked up, noticing that she was still in one piece. Squeezing off another shot, she cursed when she missed again.

For a few minutes, the kitchen was filled with flashes of colored light as the witch tried spell after spell, each one dissipating before touching the hunter. Bullet after bullet was dodged until Phoenix finally lost all patience. She strode up to the witch, who was chanting another spell, placed the muzzle to the witch’s forehead and squeezed the trigger. The noise from the gun covered the last words from the witch, the muzzle flash disappearing in the flash of purple light exploding from the witch. Phoenix waited a moment to see if anything would happen. When nothing did, she shrugged and proceeded to dispose of the body.

It was too late to head out, so she headed back into the center of the small town, finding a dingy enough motel near a church. Too tired to do anything else, she fell into bed, asleep before her head hit the pillow.

A ray of sunlight coming through the east-facing window poked her in the eye the next morning, pulling her out of sleep. Grumbling, she shuffled to the bathroom to take care of her morning ablutions. Shucking her clothes, she hopped in the shower, staying under the streaming water until it turned cold. She got as far as putting her underwear on before she looked up to check the mirror.

The gasp that tore from her throat was raw with shock and fear. She clamped her eyes shut and rubbed them, then looked again. Without taking her eyes off her image in the mirror, she groped for her phone, punching in Dean’s number from memory rather than using the contacts.

“Good morning, sunshine. What’s up?” Dean’s voice sounded surprisingly chipper considering the time. Not that she even really knew what time it was, but she assumed it was morning.

“Dean.” Her broken voice got his immediate attention.

“What’s wrong?” His tone went from chipper to clipped and businesslike in less than a second.

“I don’t know. I think...I’ve been cursed.” Phoenix’s voice was shaky, not at all the way Dean was used to hearing it.

“Why? Tell me everything.”

“Well, for one, I killed a witch last night. And for another…” She took a deep shaky breath. “My eyes are glowing.”

“Your...what?” Dean sounded like he had trouble wrapping his head around what she was saying.

“My. Eyes. Are. Glowing.” She enunciated each word.

“Right. You said that. I just...Did Sam put you up to this?”

“What? Why would Sam... you know what, nevermind. Just... What do I do?”

“I’ve never heard of someone’s eyes glowing after getting hit by a curse, Phoenix. Are you sure?” Dean sounded disbelieving now.

“You know what? I’m not lying. Why would I? I stared in that mirror and saw my eyes glow. That’s not normal!” Phoenix felt her composure start to crack, her voice rising with panic.

“Ok, ok, calm down, I believe you.” Dean tried for reassuring. He waved Sam over and put the phone on speaker. “Sam’s here, too. Tell us what happened. You said you killed a witch?”

For a moment, all that came through the phone’s speaker was her heavy breathing as she tried to calm down. Her voice was still a bit shaky when she finally started speaking, giving them a play by play of the hunt the night before.

“So the witch is dead?” Sam’s voice was calm and she almost resented him for it.

“Yes. I shot the damn thing in the head with a witch killing bullet, then burned the body and scattered the ashes just to make sure.” She huffed in annoyance. “I’m not stupid, Sam.”

“That’s not...nevermind. Ok, so if the witch is dead, we’ll have to find another way to lift the curse. Of course, first, we have to figure out what the hell you were hit with.” There was shuffling on the other end and she could imagine Sam starting to pull lore books from the shelves of the library.

“Are you ok to drive?” Dean sounded concerned.

“Yes.” Phoenix took another shaky breath, feeling a little less likely to panic, or hyperventilate. “They’ve stopped...glowing.” She huffed a disbelieving laugh. “I’ll be there in a couple of hours, provided I can avoid cops.”

Dean chuckled on the other end, the sound oddly soothing to Phoenix. “Don’t get in an accident either, that’ll delay you even more.”

She huffed and ended the call. Taking another look in the mirror, her breath hitched in relief when her normal eyes looked back at her. She packed quickly, going through her clothing to make sure there were no hidden hex bags the witch might have stuffed in a pocket when she was otherwise occupied. She found none, but she had not really expected to either. This was something else, something more powerful.

Phoenix gunned the bike the whole way back, making the drive in just over two hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	4. The Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winchesters call in the most powerful witch they know to help Phoenix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a day late with this chapter, I know. The reminder on my phone didn't work.

_ Dean chuckled on the other end, the sound oddly soothing to Phoenix. “Don’t get in an accident either, that’ll delay you even more.” _

_ She huffed and ended the call. Taking another look in the mirror, her breath hitched in relief when her normal eyes looked back at her.She packed quickly, going through her clothing to make sure there were no hidden hex bags the witch might have stuffed in a pocket when she was otherwise occupied. She found none, but she had not really expected to either. This was something else, something more powerful. _

_ Phoenix gunned the bike the whole way back, making the drive in just over two hours. _

* * *

Dean met her in the garage, walking up just as she dismounted her bike. She pulled her helmet off and set it on the seat, then turned toward Dean. His eyes immediately went to hers, searching, and she quirked her lip up in a humorless smile.

“They’ve stopped glowing, Dean.”

“Oh. Yeah. Just checking.” His hand came up to rub the back of his neck as he turned and led the way into the Bunker. “We called in some help. She’s the most powerful witch we know, and she’s sort of,” he paused, searching for the right word, “an ally I guess. So don’t kill her.” His eyes twinkled at her as he added the last caveat and she rolled hers. 

“I’ll try to restrain myself.” She followed Dean through the war room and into the library where Sam was waiting next to one of the tables, a tiny red-haired woman standing next to him, hugging a large book to her chest.

“Phoenix, this is Rowena. She’s hopefully gonna help you get rid of this curse.” Sam’s voice held an edge of warning, but Phoenix had trouble figuring out if he was warning her to take care around the witch, or if it was something else entirely. 

Deciding to be as careful as ever around any witch, Phoenix nodded reservedly to the redhead. “I’ll save the pleasantries for if you actually succeed.” Her tone was clipped and came out harsher than she meant it, but she really could not be bothered to care.

Rowena hummed, sounding displeased, but nevertheless set her book down and came over to Phoenix.

“The boys have told me what you told them. I need to know if there is anything else you can remember.” The Scottish accent made Phoenix frown slightly in surprise, but she wracked her brain for any detail she might have missed relaying to the brothers.

“I can’t think of anything else. I checked my clothes for hex bags while I packed this morning, but there was nothing. It was just like I said, the witch chanted something I couldn’t understand, then there was the bright flash of purple light, and then nothing until the next morning when my eyes glowed.” Phoenix could hear her voice get tighter as she spoke, but there was nothing she could do about it. When she finished, she tried to focus on taking slow even breaths to calm herself.

“It’s a pity you cannae remember the words, but I’ll make do,” Rowena stated airily. “Stand up, dearie, I need to examine you.”

Phoenix looked over Rowena’s head at Sam, and then Dean, frowning. They both nodded, so she did as the witch asked, standing up. The redhead moved the chair away, giving her room to walk around the hunter. Which she did, moving all around Phoenix while humming thoughtfully, and sometimes mumbling a few words in Latin or Gaelic. As she went on, the frown on her face deepened and she appeared to be getting flustered. Finally, she stood back and just stared at Phoenix, a deep frown creasing the otherwise smooth skin of her forehead.

“What are you?”

All three hunters tensed at the witch’s words. Phoenix could feel the brothers’ eyes on her as she faced Rowena.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, every spell I’ve tried dissolves around you as if you’re...resistant to magic.” Rowena’s tone was more curious than anything, although with an edge of surprise as if she had discovered some fascinating new creature and she intended to study it.

“What does that mean?” Dean stood up from where he had been leaning against a bookshelf. “Is that even possible?”

“Oh sure, it’s possible, I’ve just never seen it.” The witch tapped a slender finger against her lips with a thoughtful expression. Turning abruptly, she grabbed her book and flipped through it. “There may be something in here. Give me a moment.”

Sam approached Phoenix, a concerned frown on his face, but she held up a hand to stop him.

“I’m ok. I just want to figure this out.”

He paused for a moment, then nodded and, after a moment’s thought, went to look through a shelf of books on the other side of the room. Dean watched their interaction and when Sam moved away, he gave her a reassuring smile. 

After a while, Rowena waved her hand vaguely, dismissing the three of them.

“I need time to study this. Leave me be.”

“I could help you.” Sam started to say, only to be silenced by a look from the redhead.

The three hunters left the tiny witch alone in the library, retiring to the kitchen where Dean pulled out beers for all of them. The brothers leaned against the kitchen counter while Phoenix took a seat at the table.

“Well, this sucks.” The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think.

“It’s gonna be ok, Phoenix. Rowena will figure this out,” Sam tried to reassure her.

She scoffed and took another swig of beer. Setting the bottle down, she focused on the label, blunt nails picking at a loose corner. She missed the interaction between the brothers. Dean gave Sam a look. Sam frowned, then shrugged and set his beer down.

“I’m gonna go see if Rowena wants my help, after all.” His mumbled words were barely out of his mouth when he hurried out of the room. When Phoenix looked up, all she caught was the back of him disappearing through the open door. At the same time, Dean moved over and sat across from her.

“You ok?” His green eyes sought her blue, a sincere look darkening the color.

She sighed, relaxing slightly. 

“I don’t know, Dean. I mean...what if the witch out there can’t find a cure for this curse? What if this is it?”

Dean’s hand twitched, resisting the urge to take one of hers and hold it, giving her some of his strength.

“She’ll figure it out. And if she can’t, well, then Sam and I will.” The hand that wanted to take hers rested on the tabletop, palm pressed against the surface. “It’ll be ok.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” She took another swig of beer. As she set the bottle down, she shook her head. “You know what though? Even if this is it, I think I’m ready.”

“Don’t say that. You’re not gonna die, Phoenix. Don’t even think it.” Dean’s tone was intense and made her look up into his eyes. The strength of the emotions swirling there made her breath hitch and she looked back down at her own hands.

“I’m...I’m gonna go lie down. Let me know if there’s any news.” She finished her beer, set the bottle down, and almost ran out of the kitchen. That look in Dean’s eyes, it had stirred feelings in her that she had no idea what to do with. Especially now, when things were so messed up. She made her way to the garage instead of the guest room she usually used. Straddling her bike, she crossed her arms over the handlebars and rested her head on her arms. She had told Dean the truth. After all these years hunting monsters, if it was her time, she was ready. 

And yet, what she thought she had seen when she looked into Dean Winchester’s eyes….

Phoenix breathed out a deep sigh filled with frustration. If it was indeed her time, she would not fight it, but she would be miffed as hell to not get to explore what that had been. If it had been anything at all. Maybe she was just imagining things.

Lost in thought, she had no idea how much time had passed, until she heard steps across the concrete floor of the garage. Turning, she saw Sam, an apologetic expression on his handsome face. 

“I didn’t mean to bother you, but Rowena found something she wants to try.”

Phoenix nodded and slipped off the bike, following Sam through the hallways to the library.

“Unless Phoenix is willing to give you boys a show, we’ll need some girl time.” Rowena’s words were teasing, but her tone said she was anything but, so the brothers shrugged and left the two women alone. 

“What do you mean by ‘a show’?” Phoenix frowned suspiciously at the witch.

“I’ll need to draw these sigils on your body, dear, and I can’t do that if you’re dressed. So, on you go, take your clothes off and be quick about it.”

Still suspicious, but fully aware the brothers were there to back her up, Phoenix peeled off her plain black t-shirt, toed off her boots and shimmied out of her black jeans. She felt an involuntary shiver go through her, partly because of the cool air of the Bunker and party because she felt vulnerable being so undressed in front of someone who was not only a virtual stranger but also a witch.

“All right, let’s get on with it.” Rowena sounded almost giddy as she picked up a bowl half-full with some sort of deep red liquid. She dipped what looked like a regular paintbrush in the liquid and moved toward Phoenix, who pulled back.

“What is that stuff?”

Rowena sighed, sounding put out. “The blood of a black cock, Dead Sea brine, anise, white chrysanthemum, and hyssop.” She rattled off the ingredients as if she was reading a grocery list. Phoenix frowned as she tried to figure out what kind of spell the witch was preparing to do.

“A divination spell?” 

“Yes. Very good! You know your herbs. Now can we get on with it?” Rowena tilted her head to the side and gave the hunter a hard look. Phoenix nodded, unfazed, and stood still while the witch painted sigils of protection and divination up and down her arms, across her chest, and down her spine. She could hear Rowena mumbling something that sounded like Gaelic while she painted each sigil and felt vaguely uncomfortable.

“There. Now, stand still while I recite the spell.” The redhead set the bowl down and went over to her book. Her voice took on a deeper tone as she recited the words that to Phoenix sounded like Gaelic.

> _ “Seall dhomh an draoidheachd. _
> 
> _ Nochd an dìomhair. _
> 
> _ Cuir a-mach an dìomhair.” _

Several moments passed as Rowena stared expectantly at Phoenix, who was holding her breath.

“Bollocks!” The curse coming from the tiny woman was jarring, and Phoenix expelled the breath she had been holding.

“What? What happened?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all!” Rowena sounded aggravated as she flipped through her book aggressively.

“Ok… What was supposed to happen?”

“The spell was supposed to tell me what other magic is affecting you. But just like every other spell I’ve tried, it fizzled out before it even touched you. I thought the sigils would let me get through whatever warding you have on you, but it didnae work.” 

“Oh.” Phoenix looked down at the sigils and frowned. “What do you mean warding?”

“It’s the only thing that would explain why none of my spells work on you. You have some sort of, very powerful, warding on you.”

“No, I don’t.”

“No offense, dear, but yes, you do. Otherwise, this spell would have worked.”

“Unless it happened while I was unconscious, I have no memory of ever having any warding put on me.”

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you.” Rowena huffed while flipping a few more pages. She slammed the book closed and drew a deep breath. “There is one more thing I can try, but it could be dangerous.”

Phoenix squinted at the witch. “Explain.”

“Well…,” Rowena drew the word out while she came around the table. “There is a very powerful hex-breaking spell in the Book of the Damned. It’s supposed to break almost any curse. Without knowing what curse was cast on you, it’s the best option.”

“Ok. Why is it dangerous?”

“If it misfires, it could kill you.” The glint in Rowena’s eyes was one of mischief, Phoenix would have sworn.

“But no spells have had any effect on me so far,” Phoenix stated bluntly.

“That’s true.” Rowena nodded, her tone breezy.

“So what makes you think this one will work?” The hunter frowned, genuinely curious.

“It’s from the Book of the Damned.” The witch sounded annoyingly smug.

“I don’t know what that means.” Phoenix huffed, giving the redhead an exasperated look.

“It’s a long story. Let’s just say the Book has never let me down yet.” Rowena smiled blithely, yet there was a definite spark of something mischievous in her eyes.

Phoenix studied the witch in silence for what felt like several minutes. Finally, she nodded curtly.

“All right. Do it.”

“I’ll need some ingredients and some time to prepare. Why don’t you go clean yourself up while I let the boys know what I need.” Rowena dismissed Phoenix with a pleased smile and a wave of her hand.

Phoenix sneered at the witch’s back before slipping her t-shirt and jeans back on. Boots in hand, she stalked through the hallways to the garage, grabbing her bags and heading for the room she usually used. She still hesitated to call it hers, even though no one else used it, and it even had a few small personal items of hers.

When she passed the kitchen, she noted it was empty, assuming the brothers were with Rowena in the library. Making herself not care, she threw her bags on the bed, grabbed clean clothes and headed to the shower room. She always took her time in the showers here, relishing the perfect water pressure and the unlimited supply of hot water. It felt good to wash the grime off, not to mention the disgusting concoction the witch had used for the sigils. It was a good forty-five minutes before she turned the water off and slipped on her clean clothes. Curious, she threw the dirty clothes on the bed and headed to the library. As she approached, she could hear the three distinct voices.

“...always comes with a price.” It was Dean’s voice, and he sounded aggravated.

“And if the price of doing nothing is death? Can you live with that, Dean Winchester?” Rowena’s sounded cajoling.

“Dean, we have to let her do it. It’s not our choice to make.” Sam, always playing the mediator.

“I know, dammit. Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.” 

“If there’s a price to pay, we’ll deal with it, like we always do.” Sam was always an optimist.

“At least tell her everything, so she can make an informed decision.” Dean’s voice was almost a growl.

“Of course.” Rowena’s response was deceptively airy. “We’ll tell her how the last time we broke a curse with the Book, it set free the Darkness, God’s sister, and she almost destroyed the world.”

Phoenix stepped through the doorway, causing all three to turn toward her. Sam looked concerned, possibly worried about how much she had heard. Dean looked angry. And Rowena looked positively giddy.

“That’s how the Darkness got out? You used this Book of the Damned to break a curse?”

Sam looked away, glancing at Dean, who rubbed a hand over his face. As if that action had rearranged his expression, when he looked up at Phoenix he looked more tired than angry.

“Not just a curse. The first curse. Rowena used a spell from the Book of the Damned to remove the Mark of Cain from me. Turned out the Mark was the only thing keeping the Darkness locked up.”

“Oh.” Phoenix felt at a loss for words. What could she really say to that? “So the price for removing the Mark was letting the Darkness free?”

Dean and Sam both nodded.

“So what’s the cost for casting this spell?” Phoenix directed her question at Rowena, who looked startled for just a moment.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “There is no way to tell what the cost is until after the spell is cast.”

“I see.” Phoenix sat down, propping her feet up on the table. “And do you care?” She squinted at the witch.

“Of course I--” She was interrupted by Dean’s scoff. 

“All you care about is power, Rowena. Don’t pretend otherwise.”

“Fine! And if it helps one of you lot, what does it matter?”

“Stop.” Phoenix interrupted whatever Dean was about to say and his mouth closed so hard she could hear the sound of his teeth clacking together. She turned to Rowena. “If you do this spell, can you guarantee it’ll work?”

“No.” Rowena’s response was blunt and direct.

“And will there be a cost even if it doesn’t work?” Phoenix tried to keep emotion out, but an edge of concern tinted her words.

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so.” The witch’s tone suggested she could not care less.

“And it’s the only thing you’ve got that might help?” Phoenix prodded, wanting a definitive answer.

“Yes. I’ve tried everything else.” Rowena nodded curtly, her eyes meeting Phoenix’s.

“Then I don’t see that I’ve got a choice. Do the spell.” The hunter steeled herself, preparing for the worst.

Rowena visibly restrained herself from grinning as she turned to another book that had not been there before. It looked ancient, and Phoenix shuddered when she looked at it. The witch moved each page with great care as if the book might fall to pieces if she handled it too roughly. 

“I’ll need some things. I’ll make a list.”

Sam and Dean did that thing Phoenix had noticed, where they communicated without words. Sam pulled a lore book from one of the stacks on the table and took a seat, while Dean turned to Phoenix and nodded toward the doorway leading to the kitchen, and the bedrooms. Giving the red-haired witch a long look, Phoenix followed the elder Winchester down the hall, past the kitchen, to the room she was using.

“It’s late. Get some sleep. Sam and I’ll keep an eye on Rowena, make sure she doesn’t do anything…well, you know.” He shrugged, then patted her shoulder and went off to his own room. 

* * *

 

Phoenix woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes, and she realized she had actually been able to fall asleep, against all odds. Even though she had slept on top of the covers, fully dressed, she counted it a win after the chaos of the past couple of days. She threw her hair up into a messy bun and made her way to the kitchen, finding Dean at the stove flipping pancakes. 

“Hey, she lives!” He smirked at her as she came up to grab some breakfast. Piling a plate high with bacon and pancakes, she took a seat at the table. She drowned the whole pile in maple syrup before digging in.

“Holy crap, Dean, this is delicious.” She managed to get the words out around a mouthful of food.

“Thank you. We aim to please here at Winchester Hotel.” He grinned at her as he plated the last pancakes and brought it all over to the table.

“Where’s the witch? And Sam?”

“Sammy is getting some much-needed sleep and Rowena is in the library, mixing up the ingredients for her spell.”

“Oh.” Phoenix swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat, the food taking on an ashen flavor. “So you got everything?”

“Actually, we had most of it. I made a run early this morning for the last couple of things.” Dean’s tone tried for nonchalant, but there was an unmistakable edge of tension to it.

“Good. That’s good.” Phoenix set her fork down, her appetite lost.

“Hey. Don’t worry. It’s gonna be ok.” Dean gave up resisting the urge and gathered her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

Phoenix managed to put a smile on, although she suspected it looked all too forced.

“Yeah. Sure.” She pushed her plate away and stood up. “I’m gonna go…,” she trailed off as she turned and headed out of the room, not even sure where she was going.

She ended up in the garage, once again straddling her bike, her head on her arms. What was even going on here? She felt so confused. Sam was the one who came and got her again, and she felt a tiny pang of what might have been disappointment when she saw him, but she squelched it and followed him to the library. 

Rowena seemed to have prepared everything. The bowl was half-full of some sort of foul-smelling concoction and this time Phoenix did not feel the need to know what was in it. She stopped a few feet from the witch and took a deep breath.

“Ok. I’m ready.”

“Goodie. Let’s get started, shall we?” Rowena picked up another paintbrush and dipped it in the liquid, grabbing Phoenix’s hand and painting a simple spiral on her palm, then repeated the action with her other hand. 

“Hold on to your hats, gentlemen.” The witch grinned at the brothers, then recited a few words in a language none of the hunters recognized.

As soon as the witch stopped speaking, a noticeable tremor passed through the floor and a gust of wind almost toppled the four of them off their feet. When everything calmed, three sets of expectant eyes were on Phoenix. She blinked and lifted her hands up. The spirals were gone. Other than that, she could feel no change. She looked at the brothers and shrugged.

“Bollocks!” Rowena spat the curse out.

“It didn’t work?” Sam frowned, looking from Phoenix to Rowena.

“No!” The witch was clearly frustrated. “I give up. I have nothing else to try.”

“What about…?”

“No!” Rowena interrupted Dean. “That was it! That was our last hope. Short of resurrecting the witch that cast the spell to find out what it was, I am out of ideas.” While she spoke, she aggressively threw things into a colorful carpet bag, Book and spell ingredients going in willy-nilly.

Phoenix found herself at a loss and simply sat down, feeling like she had just received a death sentence. Even though she had said she was ready, and thought she was, apparently there had still been a spark of hope. That spark had just been snuffed out.

Sam came up behind her, putting one large hand on her shoulder. She sat there while Rowena collected her things and Dean walked her to the garage, presumably to take her home, or away from the Bunker at least. All the while, Sam stood there, lending her his strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	5. Books, Booze, and Bacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding time in the Bunker. Dean and Phoenix grow closer. Also, research. Lots of research.

_ Phoenix found herself at a loss and simply sat down, feeling like she had just received a death sentence. Even though she had said she was ready, and thought she was, apparently there had still been a spark of hope. That spark had just been snuffed out. _

_ Sam came up behind her, putting one large hand on her shoulder. She sat there while Rowena collected her things and Dean walked her to the garage, presumably to take her home, or away from the Bunker at least. All the while, Sam stood there, lending her his strength. _

* * *

Sam squeezed her shoulder gently before he came around and pulled up a chair to sit in front of her. 

“Phoenix...we’ll figure this out, ok? Just because Rowena….” He huffed and gestured around them at the scores of books lining the walls. “There has to be something here, some information that’ll help.” He placed his hand softly on her knee, trying to catch her eye.

She drew in a deep breath, remembering that her lungs still needed oxygen for now. Raising her gaze, she looked into Sam’s hazel eyes, her thoughts racing a mile a minute.

“Sure, Sam. I just...I need some time.” She stood up and walked almost mechanically toward the room that could have been hers, leaving Sam sitting in the library by himself.

She could not have said how much time had passed when a knock on the door pulled her out of her own mind and she cleared her throat.

“Yeah?”

Dean opened the door, standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. “You ok?”

“I don’t know, Dean.” She shrugged. “I mean, I’m alive, for now.”

“Sam’s already buried in books out there.” He leaned against the doorjamb, watching her from beneath his ridiculous lashes. “You need anything? I can make a run.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Dean nodded and remained standing there, silently.

“Was there something else?” Phoenix felt the vague stirrings of emotion as she regarded Dean.

“Hm? Oh. No. I should...I’ll leave you alone.” Dean stumbled over the words as he moved to leave.

“Stay.” The word fell from her lips before she had time to think and her brain lit up with panic as soon as it was out there. Dean turned back toward her, one hand on the doorjamb, the other rubbing the back of his neck.

“You sure?”

Panic robbed her of all semblance of speech and he was just about to leave again when she finally made her lips move. “Yes. Please stay.”

Dean came into the room, closing the door behind him. His movements were slow and deliberate as if he was giving her every chance to change her mind. She scooted over on the bed, making room for him. There was no TV in this room, but she spun up iTunes on her phone, plugging the earbuds in. When Dean was settled next to her on the bed, somewhat awkwardly, she handed him one of the earbuds. The short cord forced them to sit close enough that their bodies were pressed together and Dean put his arm around her shoulders. Phoenix tried not to read anything into the gesture, it was just the most comfortable position for him, nothing more, but no amount of rationalization would make the butterflies in her stomach quiet down.

They lay like that long enough for her playlist to play all the way through once and start over. Dean pulled the earbud from his ear and handed it to her. After she took it from him, his hand hovered for a moment before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone, lingering just a moment too long. When his eyes found hers, he pulled away like he had burned himself.

“I should go see how Sam is doing. There’s pizza and beers in the kitchen if you want.”

He slid off the bed and quietly slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him, and leaving her feeling very confused. She shook her head to clear it, checking the time. Realizing she had been holed up in this room for literally hours, she determinedly got up and stretched, then headed off to find the promised pizza.

Three beers in one hand, a slice of pizza in the other, Phoenix came into the library, finding the brothers both with their noses buried in musty old tomes. There was a moment of tension between them when Dean looked up, but it seemed to dissipate as soon as she placed a beer bottle in front of each brother.

Sam looked like he had been reading since she left him there earlier, and he stretched his tall frame before taking a long pull from the bottle. Resting the bottle on the table, he rubbed his free hand over his face.

“Thanks, Phoenix.”

“No problem. Any luck?”

“Not yet, but we’ve barely cracked the surface of what’s here. We’ll find something.” He smiled reassuringly and she could see in his eyes that he truly did believe his own words.

She took a seat across from Dean, missing the look Sam gave the two of them and the tiny shrug of resignation.

“So, pass me a book, let’s do this.” She tried to match Sam’s optimism, but to herself, her tone still sounded hollow.

Sam picked a few books up, checking their covers, before sliding one over to her. It looked truly ancient, bound in leather, with no title. The only thing on the cover was an arcane sigil. Opening the book, Phoenix skimmed the first page. It was apparently written in what linguists these days called Proto-Germanic, a language she luckily was able to read. Giving a small sigh, she got started.

For a long time, the only sounds in the cavernous library were those of the three hunters breathing, flipping pages, and taking notes. Every so often, one of them would go to take a drink from their bottle only to find it empty, and whoever made the discovery made the trip to the kitchen to get more. All three of them lost track of time as they went through book after book, most of them written in obscure languages. 

The next time any of them checked the time, it was morning again. Not that anyone would know, with no windows in the Bunker. Dean was the first to slam his book closed and stand up, stretching with a moan.

“I’m done. I’m starting to see double and I need some sleep,” he announced before he shuffled off down the hall to his room. 

“Dean’s not wrong. I can barely keep my eyes open. We’ll pick up again after we get some rest.” Phoenix stood as well, patting Sam on the shoulder as she passed by.

Sam only grunted, his focus on the ancient Sanskrit text he was in the middle of translating. Phoenix shook her head, certain that the next time she came out there, she would find Sam asleep using a book for a pillow.

Dean’s door was ajar and Phoenix stopped to peek in, catching Dean slipping under the covers wearing only a t-shirt and boxer briefs. When he spotted her, he gave her a tired smile and waved her in.

“Don’t lurk,” he teased her, patting the bed.

She came in and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sam’s still translating.”

“Yeah, he’ll run himself into the ground. That’s ok, that’s what we’re here for, to take care of him when he does.” Dean smiled at her. “C’mere.” He pulled the covers down, inviting her to join him.

“Dean Winchester, are you suggesting we sleep together?” Her tone was teasing, and she managed to cover the slight tremor.

“Yeah. Sleep being the operative word.” Dean yawned, not bothering to cover it. “You’ve been through a lot, I figured you might like some human contact, that’s all.”

Phoenix gave it a moment’s thought before slipping under the covers, glad she was only wearing yoga pants and a tank top. Dean’s arm came around her and pulled her in, keeping the sheet between them. After a brief hesitation, she relaxed and rested her head on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat oddly calming. Just before she slipped into unconsciousness, she heard Dean let out a deep contented sigh.

Dean was the first to wake, finding them snuggled together, noses almost touching. Not wanting to wake her, he lay there quietly just watching her. He studied the way her lashes rested on her cheek and discovered she actually had a very faint dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose. Seeing her lips up close like this was strange to him, but at the same time, he felt an urge to press his own against them to find out if they were really as soft as they looked. When his green eyes came back to hers, they met her blue gaze, studying him in turn.

“Hi.” His voice was raspy from sleep.

“Hi.” Hers was barely a whisper, her breath ghosting over his face.

It should have been awkward, but neither of them moved, apparently content to lie there in each other’s arms. When a thought popped into Dean’s head, he said it out loud without thinking.

“Why did your parents name you Phoenix?”

She blinked slowly at him, seemingly considering her response.

“That’s where they found me.” She finally answered.

Dean leaned back a little to see her better.

“What do you mean ‘found you’?”

“Exactly that. A couple of cops found me wandering the back alleys of Phoenix and the couple that adopted me named me after the city.” She shrugged a little. “Although later my mom said she liked it because of the symbolism. Rising from the ashes of being an orphan to the ‘lovely young woman’ I became.” The quotation marks were evident in her tone and she smiled a little at the memory.

“Why were you orphaned?”

“I don’t know. I can’t remember anything before the cops found me.” She said it lightly, almost like it was of no consequence. 

“Did you ever try to find out?”

“No. My parents loved me and I just couldn’t imagine any pleasant situation that would have ended with me orphaned in an alley. So I just left it alone.”

“But then you left your parents,” Dean said it as a statement rather than a question.

“Yes.”

“Why? I mean, you said yourself that your parents loved you, so why would you leave?”

Phoenix let out a small sigh and looked away as if looking into his eyes became too much.

“Nevermind. If you don’t wanna talk about it, it’s ok.” Dean backtracked quickly.

“No, it’s not that.” She shook her head slightly, her eyes finding his again. “I’ve just never told anyone about this, and it’s hard to break a lifelong habit.” She paused as if to collect her thoughts and Dean waited quietly. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve been able to see things. Things that others can’t see, or choose not to see. Monsters. Ghosts. The things we hunt.”

Dean’s eyes widened slightly. 

“Always? And you never told anyone?”

“Yes. It just seems like I always knew it wasn’t something you share with others. And then, of course, I noticed that no one else seemed to see them, so I kept quiet because I didn’t want anyone to think I was nuts.”

“Yeah. I get that,” Dean responded quietly, nodding. “For what it’s worth, at least you know you’re not nuts.” He gave her a little smile and she failed to hold back a huffed laugh.

“Silver lining.”

They lay there quietly for a while until Phoenix could no longer stay still. She slipped out of Dean’s arms, and he sat up when she did. It all seemed so natural, and not awkward. “We should check on Sam,” Dean said as he stretched.

“Yeah, you do that, I gotta pee.” Phoenix gave him a little grin as she slipped out the door.

Dean found Sam asleep on the book he had been reading, a small wet spot had formed on the ancient vellum from his drool. A gentle nudge startled him awake.

“What?”

“Dude, your drool is gonna destroy the book,” Dean teased.

“Shut up. What time is it?”

Dean checked his watch. “Almost two-thirty p.m. You hungry? There’s still some cold pizza in the kitchen. Or I could make a run.”

Sam cleared his throat, dabbing at the wet spot on the page absentmindedly while he skimmed his notes.

“Pizza’s fine. I think I found something, but the text is ridiculously vague. Not to mention I’m no expert on ancient Sanskrit. Where’s Phoenix?”

Just then, Phoenix wandered into the library, still chewing the last bite of her breakfast pizza.

“I’m right here. Whatcha got?”

“Hey. I’m not sure, but it says something about a curse and glowing lights. How’s your ancient Sanskrit?”

“Probably worse than yours. Let me see.” She bent over the book, tracing the passage Sam indicated with her finger while checking the translation notes. “Yeah, I can’t make any more sense of this than you have. I guess you’ll just have to try translating the rest of it to see if it’s relevant.” She let out a small sigh and sat down, grabbing the book she had been working on before taking a break.

“I need coffee. And food,” Dean announced and disappeared toward the kitchen.

Sam turned back to his translation, but Phoenix leaned in and placed a hand on the text. 

“Sam, you need sleep. And I don’t mean a few minutes passed out on top of a book.”

He gave her a bitchface, but it quickly relaxed into a yawn.

“Ugh, yeah, you’re right. Why don’t you take a crack at it while I get some rest?”

“Sure. As long as you promise you’ll actually sleep a few hours in a real bed.”

“I promise.” He smiled and flashed his dimples at her before heading off to his room.

Phoenix slid the book he had been working on over, along with his notes, and got to work. She barely registered when Dean returned, setting a cup of coffee next to her before grabbing another book and getting back to work.

It was close to midnight when the loud smack as Dean aggressively slammed the book he was working on closed startled Phoenix out of her thoughts.

“Holy crap, Dean. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“Sorry. It’s just so frustrating. I mean, we could spend the next decade in here going through all the information on magic and curses. Would it have killed these asshats to make some sort of indexing system?” Dean griped while he rubbed a hand over his face.

“I agree, but it’s not like we have much of a choice,” Phoenix shot back. “At least, I don’t. I suppose you could just give up.” As much as she tried, she was unable to keep the hurt from her voice. 

Dean grimaced, looking contrite. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Of course we’re gonna help you, I’m just frustrated that it’s taking so long. I mean, we don’t even really know how long we have, and I just want to find something, you know.”

Phoenix nodded, pushing the book and notes away from her.

“I know. I’m sorry I snapped. You’re right, it is frustrating. Doubly so since I’m kinda living with a ticking clock over my head.”

Dean leaned in and took her hand across the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. Just then, Sam came back into the library, looking at least marginally refreshed. He noticed their intertwined hands but chose not to comment.

“Guys, I was thinking.”

“In your sleep?” Phoenix teased tiredly.

“No, while I was taking a shower. There is just too much information here, we could spend the rest of our lives, literally, trying to find a cure for this curse. We don’t even know how much time we have.”

Dean and Phoenix exchanged a look, both of them rolling their eyes a little.

“So what do you suggest?” Phoenix asked Sam.

“We should call Cass,” Sam stated.

Dean looked like he wanted to smack himself in the head. 

“Yeah. He should be able to tell what’s up with you,” Dean agreed while he pulled his phone out.

“Oh good, I finally get to meet the mythical Castiel,” Phoenix commented sarcastically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	6. Older Than Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix meets Castiel, and the angel confirms that she is not human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I spell it 'Cass' because that is how it is shown canonically. I won't apologize for it. If it bothers you, don't read.

_ “We should call Cass,” Sam stated. _

_ Dean looked like he wanted to smack himself in the head.  _

_ “Yeah. He should be able to tell what’s up with you,” Dean agreed while he pulled his phone out. _

_ “Oh good, I finally get to meet the mythical Castiel.” Phoenix’s tone was sarcastic. _

* * *

Dean rolled his eyes at Phoenix’s comment as he dialed Castiel’s number, turning the speaker on.

“Dean.”

“Hey, Cass. You got a minute?”

“...Yes.”

“...Right. We have a little problem here and we’re hoping you can help.”

“What is the problem?”

“You remember I told you about the hunter we met, Phoenix?” Dean shot her a little smile before turning so she could only see his profile. 

“Yes.”

“Yeah, she got cursed by a witch a couple of days ago and we can’t figure out how to fix it.”

“Did you ask Rowena? She is a very powerful witch.”

“Yes, Cass, we asked Rowena.” Dean paused, his jaw clenching in frustration. “She couldn’t figure it out.”

“Oh. So what do you want me to do?”

“Could you come take a look? Maybe you can detect something that a witch can’t?” Dean’s tone was almost pleading and Phoenix squinted at him. For a moment there was silence on the other end, broken by a sigh.

“Fine. I’ll be there in a couple of hours.” There was a soft click as the call disconnected. Dean frowned at the phone before setting it down.

“Ok, then. You guys wanna keep doing research while we wait?”

Sam gave his brother a look before he sunk back down in his chair, grabbing a new book. Phoenix glanced at the book she had been translating, then shrugged.

“I could use a break. Just in case I’ll be dead soon, I’d rather not spend my last hours alive with my nose buried in a musty old book.”

“You’re not gonna die, Phoenix.” Dean put all of his conviction into his words and Phoenix almost believed him. “Why don’t we go on a supply run? We’re almost out of coffee and we could use some actual food. You want your usual rabbit food, Sammy?”

Sam scoffed but kept his eyes on the text he was working his way through. Dean shrugged and raised his eyebrows at Phoenix.

“Yeah, I’ll come. I could use some fresh air.”

Dean drove the two of them into Lebanon and they spent some time feeling almost normal, shopping for groceries. Unfortunately, no matter how much they dragged it out, it was less than an hour before they were back at the Bunker. While Dean put the groceries away, Phoenix made her way back to the library, finding Sam, unsurprisingly, still hard at work.

“Sam.” She waited until he looked up. “I just want you to know how much I appreciate what you’re doing.” She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. He raised his free hand and placed it over hers, giving it a slight squeeze back.

“You don’t have to thank me, Phoenix. You’re family, and we take care of our family.” His lips quirked up into a lopsided smile. “Besides, I think Dean would kill me himself if I let you down.”

Phoenix frowned at the tall hunter.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, since he...or, you two….” He cleared his throat, the expression on her face telling him that he had jumped the gun and suddenly he was feeling awkward. “You know what, nevermind. I should finish this translation.” He dove back into the research like his life depended on it. Phoenix squinted at him in confusion, wondering what he was talking about. Just then, Dean called her from the kitchen and she went to see what he wanted, putting Sam’s odd behavior and cryptic comments out of her mind.

“Wanna give me a hand here, sweetheart?” Dean gestured with the chef’s knife he was holding to the ingredients spread out on the counter. Phoenix felt a pang of something at the term of endearment but shrugged it off. She grabbed another knife and looked at the items laid out.

“Uhm...sure but, what are we making?”

“My special stew!” Dean sounded so proud, Phoenix was unable to hold back a grin. “Here, you chop these.” He pushed a pile of fresh mushrooms on a cutting board over to her, along with a stainless steel mixing bowl.

“Wow, your own special stew, huh? I can’t wait to taste it,” Phoenix teased him, and he huffed at her.

For a while, the two of them worked in silence, their knives chopping against the wooden boards the only sounds in the room. Phoenix found herself relaxing into the relatively simple tasks of chopping and dicing, the two of them moving around each other like this was something they did regularly. Dean would scoop up whatever she had finished with and drop it into a giant stew pot sitting on the stove top, each time stirring the contents with a huge wooden spoon. When he started humming ‘Ramble On’, Phoenix felt a warmth spreading through her at the sheer domesticity of it all.

The distant sound of the Bunker door opening and closing had them both on alert again. Dean turned the heat down on the burner, leaving everything the way it was to go meet Castiel. Phoenix finished chopping the bell pepper she was working on before carefully setting the knife down and wiping her hands. She could hear the deep voices of the three men talking from the war room, and she suddenly did not want to go out there.

Forcing herself, she shuffled down the hallway, emerging into the library. She could see the brothers standing in the war room, facing a third man with dark hair wearing a black suit, blue tie, and a beige trenchcoat. She cleared her throat to let them know she was there, and all three looked up towards her.

“Cass, this is-” Dean started to introduce them when Castiel put his hand up, effectively silencing the hunter. His piercing blue eyes were locked on Phoenix, staring at her with a look of awe and confusion.

“What are you?” His gravelly voice startled her out of her own shock and she frowned at the angel.

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Phoenix said with exasperation. “I’m just a human, as far as I know. Nothing special about me.” She saw Dean make a face at her statement, but he kept quiet.

“No, you’re not. Human, that is. And there is definitely something special about you.” While he spoke, Castiel approached her cautiously. His eyes roamed over her, but she did not feel like he was checking her out. It was more like he was looking at her aura.

“What are you looking at?” Phoenix finally asked him.

“You’re glowing-” Castiel started saying, only to be interrupted by all three hunters. 

Phoenix groaned in frustration. Sam exclaimed a startled, “What?” at the same time as Dean pointed out, “I don’t see it.” 

Castiel turned to frown at the brothers, before returning his gaze to Phoenix. “As I was saying, you’re glowing with a light that I have never seen before. It’s as if your light is iridescent, fluctuating between every color I know. Even the ones that are imperceptible to humans. And there is something….” 

He trailed off as he squinted at a point just over her shoulder, making Phoenix turn to see if there was something there. She could see nothing and was startled when Castiel’s hand came up to trace an outline in the air behind her. The sensation that shot through her drew a ragged gasp from her lips. The expression on her face must have shown her shock because both brothers strode forward, Dean cradling her face in his hands while Sam put a hand on her shoulder. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Dean sounded so focused, it immediately grounded her.

“I...I’m not sure. When he did that just now, it felt like...like a tingling? Like he touched a part of me that is really sensitive.” She looked over her shoulder again, groping with the hand that Sam was not holding, and finding nothing. “What the hell?” She looked at the angel questioningly.

“I’m not sure myself. There is a shimmering there, the light is different than over the rest of your body. It felt strange to touch it, like something that is at the same time solid, and not.” The angel tried to explain, standing back, the brothers appearing to shield her from him.

“Ok, I say again, what the hell?” Phoenix looked at Dean, who shrugged, then at Sam, who was squinting at the spot behind her shoulder where Castiel’s hand had been. Dean let go of her and turned to the angel.

“Cass, do you have any idea what you’re seeing? I mean, obviously, none of us can see whatever it is.”

“I may have an idea, but I don’t want to commit to anything until I know for certain. However, I believe I can say with some certainty that you were not cursed, Phoenix.” He turned to her and she thought his expression was supposed to be sincere. “This is something else entirely. Perhaps the witch’s curse triggered something that was already latent inside you, I can’t be sure. The only thing I can say with certainty at this point is that you are definitely not human, not entirely. This thing,” he gestured vaguely at Phoenix, or at whatever light he saw around her, “it’s something old. Older than angels.” He turned to Dean. “I need to know exactly what happened.”

All of them took seats around the table in the library, the books pushed out of the way. Over the next half hour, the brothers and Phoenix told Castiel everything that had happened, from the witch hunt to Rowena’s spells, and their own fruitless research. When Sam mentioned the Sanskrit text, Castiel picked the book up and skimmed the writing, then discarded the book with a shake of his head. “This would not have helped,” was his only comment.

When they were done, the angel looked Phoenix in the eyes with a serious expression. 

“I will find out what this is, Phoenix. I promise you.” Phoenix could only nod, a little taken aback by his over-the-top sincerity. He kept his eyes on hers and she started to feel a little uncomfortable. “Is there anything else I might need to know?”

Phoenix started to shake her head when Dean cleared his throat, pulling her eyes to him. 

“What about what you told me, about the thing?” He gave her a pointed look. She had to take a moment to think about it before she realized he was referring to what she had told him about her childhood.

“Right. Uhm, well, I told Dean something I’ve never told anyone before, but I guess you guys should know if it could be related.” She cleared her throat, then repeated what she had told Dean when they woke up in bed together, how she had always been able to see the supernatural world, and how she had been found wandering the alleys of the city of Phoenix all alone.

All the while she was telling her story, Sam kept his eyes on a spot on the table, picking at something she was unable to make out, as if he wanted to give her at least some privacy while revealing something personal. In contrast, Castiel’s gaze on her felt like he was trying to pierce her soul. When she was done, she shrugged a little, and Dean impulsively took her hand in his, giving it a little squeeze.

“Thank you, for sharing this with us, Phoenix,” Castiel told her. “It will certainly help in my research. I will be back as soon as I know anything for sure.” With those words, he stood up and walked out. 

Sam fidgeted in his seat for a moment, then stood up as well, walking out with a few mumbled words that neither Dean nor Phoenix could make out. The two of them were left sitting in silence, the sound of their breaths almost distractingly loud. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts, and neither noticed when Sam peeked in some time later. When he saw them still in the same position as before, he left them alone, shutting himself in his room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	7. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Phoenix share a moment.

_ “Thank you, for sharing this with us, Phoenix,” Castiel told her. “It will certainly help in my research. I will be back as soon as I know anything for sure.” With those words, he stood up and walked out.  _

_ Sam fidgeted in his seat for a moment, then stood up as well, walking out with a few mumbled words that neither Dean nor Phoenix could make out. The two of them were left sitting in silence, the sound of their breaths almost distractingly loud. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts, and neither noticed when Sam peeked in some time later. When he saw them still in the same position as before, he left them alone, shutting himself in his room. _

* * *

Dean swiveled both of their chairs so that they were facing each other, their knees touching. Keeping her hand in his, he raised his free hand to tilt her head up with two fingers under her chin. When his green eyes found her blue, he cupped her cheek in his hand, letting his thumb brush over her cheekbone. 

“Hey. At least you’re not gonna die,” he said with a serious expression, although she could see an amused twinkle in his eyes. It did coax a smile from her.

“You’re a dork, Dean Winchester.” She sat up, leaning toward him slightly.

“You love it.” He returned her smile, mimicking her motions, and suddenly they were sitting facing each other, only inches apart. 

Without any conscious action on either of their part, the air between them seemed to thicken, and their smiles fell away. Dean’s fingers twined with hers, her free hand came up to cup his face like he was hers, and like a pair of opposite pole magnets they were drawn together until their lips met. As if a spark of static electricity had shot through both of them at that exact moment, suddenly she was straddling Dean’s lap. Her hands cradled his face while his cupped her butt, both of them pressing against the other as if they wanted to merge into a single being.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathing hard. She rested her forehead against his, their breath mingling hot between them. Dean was the first to break the silence.

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

When his lips sought hers again, she placed two fingers over them, and with a feeling like she was ripping off an arm, she pulled away and slid back onto the other chair.

“This was a mistake, Dean. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” The words felt like barbed wire being pulled from her throat. Her eyes on her own hands in her lap, she missed his expression of hurt and disappointment.

“I really didn’t mind. But maybe you’re right. After all, we don’t know what’s going on with you yet.” He stopped and cleared his throat, and she reflexively looked up and met his eyes. “After we figure this out though, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying again,” he added in a soft tone, his eyes asking the question his lips would not.

“Yeah. After. If there is an after.” Phoenix suddenly felt as if she was back on death row. She may not have been cursed, but there was something supernatural about her. What if she was a monster? She could never put Sam, and especially Dean, through that. Pushing off from the chair, she stood abruptly and almost ran out of the library. She passed the door to the room her things were in, making her way to the garage. Old habits were hard to break, she thought to herself as she straddled her bike. On impulse, she pulled an old faded picture from a hidden compartment on the bike. 

Staring at the photo, she felt tears well up in her eyes, and let them. As they slowly started rolling down her cheeks, she traced the outlines of her family, the only family she had ever known, in the old photo. 

Her mother, who had always encouraged her in everything she had ever done. In her mind, she saw her mother lean in to give her a hug after her first Tae Kwon Do graduation. Saw the look of pride on her mother’s face when she aced fencing in school. A tear fell on the photo and she carefully wiped it off.

There was her father, who always managed to let her know how proud he was of her, not for her accomplishments, but for who she was as a person. She saw the proud smile on his face when she successfully argued current events with his coworkers, impressing them with her ‘precocious nature’. 

And her brother. So much younger than her, a miracle baby given to parents who had given up. That was why they had adopted her, because they could have no children of their own. And then, when she had been with them for ten years, suddenly Mother was pregnant. They had all been so happy. And she had loved that little bundle. Another tear fell on the photo when she realized he probably did not even remember her, he had been so little when she left. Only two years old. He would be in his twenties now. Idly, she wondered if he had had a good life. 

Wiping her tears, Phoenix promised herself that if she survived this, she would look them up. Just to see them, make sure they were all right. They would never know she had been there. After all, they were the reason she was a hunter, to keep them safe.

Phoenix heard the steps on the concrete floor and somehow she knew it was Dean. She slipped the photograph back into the hidden compartment and turned toward him. His expression said he felt awkward, but she had no energy to care about that right now.

“Is Castiel back?” she asked him, wincing a little at how hoarse she sounded.

“Not yet. I just thought you might want some food. You’ve been out here for hours.”

“Oh. No, I’m not really hungry.” She just wanted to be alone, but just then her stomach decided to chime in with a loud rumble. 

“I think your stomach disagrees with you.” Dean smirked, his awkwardness gone.

“Traitor,” she told her stomach, looking up to see Dean smiling even as he tried to hide it by turning away. 

“There’s plenty of stew in the kitchen. I’ll even keep you company, if you want.” He said the last with an inflection that made it almost, but not quite, a question.

She took two long strides to come up beside him, giving him a smile. 

“I’d like that.”

Together, they made their way to the kitchen, Dean ladling up stew for the both of them. She had to admit the food smelled fantastic. When Dean pulled out freshly baked dinner rolls from the warm oven, she rolled her eyes in delight.

After the first bite, when she failed to hold back an almost sinful moan at the amazing taste of the food, they managed to keep the conversation flowing. They studiously avoided any sensitive subject, and actually quite enjoyed themselves. As they were finishing up, Sam entered the kitchen, Castiel on his heels.

“Guys. Cass is back.”

“Yeah, we can see that, Sammy.” Dean gave Sam an apologetic look, instantly regretting his snappy tone. “So, whatcha got, Cass?”

“I have confirmation of my initial suspicions. But perhaps you would like to finish up in here first? Sam and I can wait in the library.” Castiel pulled Sam with him back into the hallway and out of sight.

Dean looked over at Phoenix and shrugged. They made quick work of the dishes and a few minutes later they joined the other two, taking seats at the table. Castiel stood up as they sat down, pushing his chair in and leaning his hands against the back of it.

“Phoenix, first of all I want to assure you that you are not going to die. In fact, you may not ever die. I am not familiar with the details of your physiology, but that is what the lore says at least.”

At three pairs of eyes directed at the angel in confusion, Castiel cleared his throat and nodded.

“Right, I can see how that would sound cryptic. Let me explain. As I said when I first met you, I already had a suspicion, but I needed to confirm it. I met with a...friend, who was able to check my information against records in Heaven, which provided all the confirmation I needed.” Turning his piercing blue gaze on Phoenix, he continued. “Phoenix, you are a Faerie.”

The reactions of the three hunters were immediate. 

Dean, who had been sitting right next to Phoenix, suddenly stood up and paced the floor, ending up on the other side of the room from her. 

Sam’s face lit up and he sat up straighter. His expression dimmed slightly when he noticed Dean’s reaction, but he was unable to completely hide his excitement.

Phoenix just stared at Castiel, uncomprehending.

“Uhm...what?”

“A Faerie.” Castiel reiterated, in the same tone as before. “They are magical beings that…”

“Yeah, no, I know what they are. I just...I’m a Faerie? How is that even possible? I was a child when they found me. I’ve grown up in a normal family. I’ve hunted monsters for twenty years. I just…,” she trailed off, looking at Castiel in confusion.

“I have no explanation for that. The only theory I have is that perhaps a spell was put on you in Faerie before you were transported to the human realm. I have no experience with Faerie magic, nor does anyone I know.”

Sam cleared his throat. “Uhm, that’s not exactly true, Cass.” He nodded toward Dean, who frowned at his brother.

Castiel turned to Dean. “You’ve had dealings with Faeries, Dean? When was this? How come you’ve never told me?”

“It was while you were...away. It never came up.” He threw a venomous look at Sam. “In fact, I thought we had agreed to never speak of it again.”

Sam shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like something we can keep quiet about, considering.”

“Whatever.” Dean scoffed, turning back to the angel. “We worked a case that seemed like aliens at first. Turned out to be faeries.” He bit off his sentence, like he was holding something back.

“And?” Castiel prompted.

“And...I got abducted, ok.” Dean sounded defensive now, making Phoenix suspicious.

“You were actually in Faerie?” Castiel sounded merely interested. “What happened?”

“Nothing! Nothing happened, ok! They snatched me, I started shooting and stabbing, they got scared, and sent me back. That’s it. The end.”

“Uh huh. Real convincing, Dean.” Sam huffed.

“Whatever. I don’t know anything, Cass, I swear.” Dean looked between Castiel and Phoenix as he said it, as if willing the both of them to believe him.

“Very well. In any case, we should find some way to determine without a doubt that you are in fact a Faerie, Phoenix.” Castiel said as he turned back to her.

“I’m on it.” Sam immediately jumped into action, looking through the index on his laptop for books on faeries. 

Phoenix regarded Dean, noticing how jumpy he seemed. When she stood up to go over to him, he looked almost panicked, and when she reached her hand out to him, he flinched away from her. She let her hand drop, giving him a look of confusion. He shrugged, clearly uncomfortable, before turning on his heel and disappearing into the maze-like corridors of the Bunker.

She sat back down at the table, across from Castiel, who had taken a seat as well. He looked over where Dean had disappeared, a small frown creasing his forehead. Neither of them got an opportunity to mention Dean’s strange behavior as Sam brought over a stack of books, dividing them up among the three of them. With a sigh, Phoenix cracked open an ancient book written in Gaelic and started translating.

When she had attempted to read the same page eleven times, Phoenix gave up with a frustrated sigh. Without a word, she pushed away from the table, heading off to see if she could find Dean. After looking everywhere else, she finally found him in the garage, sitting in the driver’s seat of his Baby, a six-pack on the passenger seat. When he saw her, he flinched again, and she felt a pang of hurt in the vicinity of her heart. Steeling herself, she moved forward.

“Dean. What’s wrong?”

He remained silent, taking a swig of his beer. He stubbornly stared straight out through the windshield, refusing to meet her eyes. 

Afraid that he would just escape if she got in the car, she came around and leaned against the car next to the Impala, Dean right in front of her. She noticed his slight movement away from her, and was unsure if he was even aware that he was doing it.

“Please talk to me, Dean. I...I thought...I thought we shared something. Back there. Before.” She stumbled over her words, not sure what to say, or how to say it. When she reached her hand out to put it on his shoulder, he visibly flinched away from her, as if he was afraid she would hurt him. “Dean, it’s me. You’ve known me for a year. Have I ever done anything to hurt you?” She waited a moment for a reply that never came. “I would never hurt you, Dean.” Her voice softened, and even she detected the note of pleading. 

Still refusing to look at her, he finished off the bottle in his hand, setting it aside and opening another. When she had lost all hope that he would talk to her, he cleared his throat.

“They…,” his voice broke and he had to stop to clear his throat again,“ they said I was marked. That I belong to them.” His voice was a raspy whisper, full of both fear and vulnerability. 

Phoenix crouched next to him, placing her hand gently on his arm. He flinched, but she could tell he was trying not to.

“I’m so sorry, Dean. But you have to know by now that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I mean, I don’t even remember being there. All I’ve ever known is my human family, and I still consider myself to be human.”

He nodded, though his eyes still had a hollow, haunted, look. When he stayed silent, she went on.

“Even if I am a faerie, which we don’t know for sure yet, would that really change how you see me? After everything?”

Dean sighed deeply, his eyes closing as he bowed his head. Finally, after several long moments, his head shook from side to side.

“No. Not really. I just...it was just an instinctive reaction. I mean….” He looked up into her eyes. “They tried to kill me. Or take me. I don’t know. Sam reversed the spell before I got to find out.” He paused, very gently placing his hand over hers. “I’m just...I don’t want to be in a position where they can do either. Not again.”

Phoenix nodded, scooting closer to lean her head on his shoulder. 

“It’s ok. I understand. And I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. I promise.”

He squeezed her hand lightly. For a while, they just sat there, leaning on each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	8. The Tests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam digs out any and all faerie lore available in the Bunker. He comes up with some tests to see if she really is a faerie.

_ “No. Not really. I just...it was just an instinctive reaction. I mean….” He looked up into her eyes. “They tried to kill me. Or take me. I don’t know. Sam reversed the spell before I got to find out.” He paused, very gently placing his hand over hers. “I’m just...I don’t want to be in a position where they can do either. Not again.” _

_ Phoenix nodded, scooting closer to lean her head on his shoulder.  _

_ “It’s ok. I understand. And I’ll do everything in my power to protect you. I promise.” _

_ He squeezed her hand lightly. For a while, they just sat there, leaning on each other. _

* * *

When Dean and Phoenix made their way back to the library, Castiel and Sam both had their noses in ancient tomes, the table littered with a different set of books than before. Just as they were about to leave again, Sam spoke up.

“Cass, I think I’ve got it.”

Phoenix and Dean moved closer, while Castiel looked up, all of them curious.

“So get this, there are some things that are inherent in faeries, things that set them apart from humans. I think we can do some fairly simple tests to determine for sure that,” he looked up and nodded toward Phoenix, “that you’re actually one of them.”

Phoenix huffed. 

“Even if I am a faerie, I’m definitely not ‘one of them’.”

“Yeah, no, I didn’t mean it like that,” Sam tried to apologize.

“It’s ok, Sam, I know you didn't. I’m just saying.” She gave him a smile. “So what are these tests?”

“Right. It’s nothing complicated. Like I said, there are some things that set faeries apart from humans. Lower body temperature, higher sensitivity to different energies, vulnerability to iron, some other things. Should be pretty easy to test for.”

Phoenix frowned at his list.

“All right. Let’s do this then.”

Castiel stood up and came over to Phoenix. He raised his hand to touch her forehead and she moved back.

“I can check your temperature by touching you,” he explained with thinly veiled exasperation. 

Phoenix grimaced, but stood still for the angel to place his fingers on her forehead. She noticed Dean frowning slightly next to her, but placed no significance on it, they were all a bit tense at this point.

“So what’s the verdict, doc.” Phoenix tried, and failed, to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

“Your body temperature is somewhat lower than a normal human. It’s not significant, so it wouldn’t be immediately noticeable unless you were looking for it,” Castiel explained, while Sam made a note. 

“Some people run a little cool though, that’s not conclusive.” Dean sounded like he desperately wanted to find an alternate explanation.

“True, but we’ll see after we do the other tests.” Sam finished writing and made a checkmark next to the first item on his list.

“Fine. Whatever. What’s next?” Dean almost snapped at his brother.

“Apparently faeries require less sleep than humans. So I guess, how much do you sleep?” He directed his question to Phoenix, who frowned as she thought about it.

“I mean, I guess I don’t sleep a whole lot. What hunter does, right?” 

The brothers both nodded in understanding. Sam frowned and made another note on his list.

“Yeah, that’s kind of a difficult thing to measure I guess. Moving on. Energy fields. We can test that physically. Hold on.” He set his notepad down and disappeared down the hallway. 

Castiel took his seat again while they waited, sitting there quietly. Dean took her hand and squeezed it gently, getting a smile from Phoenix. Just when they were about to take a seat, Sam returned, holding some sort of machine. He set it up on the table not covered with books, plugging it into a wall socket.

“This is an electromagnet. I’m not actually sure why the Men of Letters had one, but it comes in handy now. According to the lore, faeries have a higher sensitivity to energy fields, such as magnetic fields, static electricity, solar energy, and so on. Phoenix, you wanna come over here?” He indicated for her to come closer to the machine and she came over, her hesitance clear in the way she moved. Sam patted her arm, trying to reassure her. “Don’t worry, it’s not gonna hurt.”

Phoenix gave him an exasperated look.

“I know what an electromagnet is, Sam, I’m not stupid.” 

Sam blushed and shrugged.

“Yeah, of course, I didn’t mean….” He stopped and took a deep breath. “I’m gonna turn it on. Let me know if you feel anything.” He turned to Dean and Castiel. “The rest of us won’t feel anything, but you’ll have to turn your phones off, or they’re gonna burn out.” He fished his own phone out of his pocket, turning it off as he spoke, then waited for the rest of them to do the same. “Ok. Here we go.” 

Sam flipped a toggle switch and there was a slight hum from the machine. Almost immediately, Phoenix felt a tingling all over her skin, like butterfly wings brushing against her all over. She shivered and, without thinking about it, held out her hands and traced her fingers along the invisible magnetic field. The others watched her until Sam shook himself and turned the machine off.

“Well, I guess that answers that. Unless you guys wanna run more tests with other forms of energy?” He looked over at the rest of them.

“Let me try something.” Castiel stood and moved closer to Phoenix. 

The angel and the hunter stood there looking at each other, while the brothers watched. They could see nothing, but suddenly Phoenix’s hands came up and seemed to almost caress something they were unable to see. Whatever it was caused the angel to shudder and close his eyes for a moment before he moved away. He turned his back on them, his shoulders visibly tense, for a full minute, then took a deep breath and sat back down, his eyes on Phoenix.

“She is definitely sensitive to more than just magnetic energy. No human would be able to do what she just did.” 

“Uhm...what did she do?” Dean looked between the angel and Phoenix, a confused frown on his face.

“She was able to not only see but actually touch, my grace.” Castiel’s tone betrayed that he was more affected than he wanted to let on by what had happened.

“Oh.” Dean was at a loss for words, while Sam scribbled another note. 

“So uhm….” Sam cleared his throat. “We’ll have to go outside for the next couple of tests since we don’t have any plants or animals in here. I’ll meet you guys out front in ten.” He rambled off without looking at anyone, then headed off down the hallway, notebook gripped tight.

Dean hummed and followed his brother, leaving Phoenix and Castiel alone in the room. Phoenix avoided Castiel’s eyes, but the flush in her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, Castiel. I didn’t mean to….” She trailed off when he waved a hand dismissively in front of himself.

“Don’t worry about it. I just didn’t expect it is all.” He stood abruptly and strode out of the room, up the stairs, and out the door.

Phoenix took a couple of deep breaths, trying to compose herself. While she still was unable to actually see the angel’s grace, she had felt it, and been able to touch it. The way it had affected Castiel was unexpected and she felt like what she had done had been a lot more intimate than either of them had foreseen. 

She gave him some time before she followed up the stairs and outside. The cool air felt good and she was surprised to find it was about midday. She spotted the three men standing together right away and went to join them. All of them ignored the slight tension.

“Ok, you’re here. So, according to the lore, faeries are able to affect plants and animals, so I thought we’d see what you can do.” He pointed at a small dandelion struggling to break through the hard-packed gravel at the edge of the road.

Phoenix shrugged and crouched by the little weed, not even sure what she was supposed to do. She studied the plant, letting herself ignore the three men at her back, focusing all her attention on the flower in front of her. Gradually, she became aware of more and more detail, the tiny veins in the petals, the light dusting of hairs all over the leaves and stem, a minuscule bug sitting on one of the petals. 

Instinctively, she reached out and brushed a single fingertip along the soft yellow petals, letting it trail down the stem and along the two leaves attached to it. Placing her hand on the ground as close to the flower as she could, she felt a strange surge inside of her, something she had never felt before. Suddenly the flower, that had appeared weak and sickly at first, seemed to swell and grow. Startled, Phoenix pulled her hand away and stood up.

The tiny little dandelion had become a strong vital plant, looking like it had grown in a lush field rather than pushing up through concrete. Phoenix turned to the brothers, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Did I do that?”

“I...think you did.” Sam sounded as surprised as Phoenix felt. 

Castiel was looking at her, his eyes squinted like he was seeing something...other. It made her uncomfortable, so she turned to Dean, but his expression was completely blank. 

“Well, I guess that confirms you can affect plants.” Sam tried to sound businesslike, but his tone still held an edge of surprise. He nudged the other two men and took a few steps back towards the Bunker door. “We’ll have to give you some space here. See if you can...I dunno, call a bird? Or something?”

The three men retreated to the Bunker’s steps, leaving Phoenix standing alone. She looked down at the plant and took a deep breath. This was crazy, but she had affected that plant. Maybe she really was a faerie? That still did not mean she had any idea what to do. She turned to face away from the angel and the two hunters, focusing on the open fields beyond the thin line of trees that shielded the Bunker from view. 

Shutting off all of her panicked thoughts, she forced her mind to go blank, letting herself take in all the sights and sounds around her. She remembered a yoga class she had taken once, years ago, and the exercise to become one with your surroundings. Without focusing on any one thing, she let herself hear and see everything. Gradually, she felt...something, a power or energy of some sort, slowly surge up inside her. The power seemed to expand from her body, out into the surrounding area. She became aware, of all the different energies around her, including the three men. She could feel their cautious expectation and had to force herself to ignore them. There were other energies, mostly plants, but some smaller animals. Birds, mice, a squirrel. She floundered a bit when she had trouble figuring out what to do, but recovered quickly. It was like a long-buried instinct had taken over and suddenly she was able to control the power. Reaching out with it, she felt the squirrel, felt it pause at the first brush of her power. She could not have explained what she did, but somehow she coaxed the squirrel to leave his tree and come to her. When she opened her eyes (in the back of her mind she registered surprise that she had closed them), the squirrel was sitting on the ground on the little rise above the Bunker door, watching her. When she extended her arm, it cocked its little head, then hopped right onto her, scurried up her arm and sat on her shoulder, chattering softly in her ear. 

With a start, she realized she could understand it. Releasing the power, she felt the squirrel scurry down her body, climbing down her clothes like it would a tree, and she watched it disappear into the trees. She remained there, her back to the guys, afraid of what their reaction would be. She heard their footsteps on the gravel approaching her, then Sam cleared his throat.

“That...was amazing, Phoenix.” The tone of awe in his voice gave her enough courage to turn around. However, her eyes sought Dean first, needing to know his feelings. 

Dean’s expression was still guarded, but his eyes held a little of what was so evident in Sam’s voice. Phoenix felt herself relax when she realized Dean was not afraid of her. At least no more than he was before. As the tension went out of her, suddenly she felt a fatigue like she had never felt before. Her legs refused to hold her anymore and she found herself held up by the angel, who was the only one able to move fast enough to catch her before she fell.

Dean was there moments later, lifting her into his arms. 

“Whoa, easy there. Looks like whatever you did took it out of you. Let’s get you to bed and we can pick back up after you get some rest.”

Phoenix threw her arm around Dean’s shoulders and rested her head on his chest, letting him carry her as she drifted toward unconsciousness.

* * *

While Phoenix slept, Dean, Sam, and Castiel did more research. They soon discovered that there was less faerie lore in their library than they would have expected. When Phoenix rejoined them a couple of hours later, they had made exactly no progress. 

“So...what happened?” Dean questioned Phoenix, the other two sitting up and listening.

“I’m not sure. I think maybe I overdid it. I don’t feel drained, more like overwhelmed,” Phoenix tried to explain.

“We all saw what happened visibly, but what did it feel like?” Sam’s tone was carefully curious as if he was holding back.

“It was like...this power….” Phoenix started, then faltered, uncertain how to put it into words. “It’s really hard to explain. I guess what I felt was some sort of magic?” She looked at Castiel.

“It was certainly like no power I’ve ever experienced before,” The angel’s deep voice responded. “My grace wasn’t even able to keep it away from me. Which, I suppose, falls in line, seeing as your people are older than angels.”

The four of them were silent for a moment, processing Castiel’s statement. The sound of Sam slapping the notebook on the table startled all of them, even himself.

“Uh...there are a couple more things on the list, although,” he paused and scribbled a note, “one of them is immunity to magic, and I guess Rowena already tested that for us. The last thing on the list is vulnerability to iron.” He picked up a small iron bar, about five inches long and an inch thick.

Phoenix shrugged and held out her arm, not really expecting anything to happen, in spite of everything. Sam hesitated a second, then placed the end of the bar against her wrist, almost dropping it when there was an immediate reaction. Phoenix cried out in pain, the spot on her wrist looking like she had been burned, blisters already forming. 

“What the hell?! I’ve never had this reaction to iron before. I mean, I’ve hunted ghosts for heaven’s sake.” 

“Maybe whatever spell that witch cast wasn’t a curse but some sort of spell that unlocked your true nature?” Sam tried to rationalize.

“Yeah, so since your power or nature was bound or whatever before, you didn’t react to iron?” Dean chimed in.

“But I was immune to magic before. Explain that? I mean, how did that witch even manage to cast the spell on me?” Phoenix objected.

“Uhm...I don’t know? Maybe...maybe the immunity to magic is something that is so inherent, it can’t be hidden with a warding?” Sam suggested.

“That actually makes sense. This list, all of these are things that wouldn’t be immediately apparent. The only thing that would make you stand out in human society would be a sensitivity to iron. So whoever bound you, made sure you wouldn’t be, until or unless your true power was revealed,” Castiel spoke up, sounding like the voice of reason.

“Well, great.” Phoenix huffed, cradling her arm. She flinched when Castiel reached for her, then forced herself to stay still under his touch. 

“This is strange.” He sounded surprised. “I seem to be unable to heal you.”

Phoenix huffed in frustration.

“Ain’t that just typical.”

Dean retrieved a first-aid kit and silently sat next to Phoenix to treat the burn. Sam made another note on his list and looked at Phoenix.

“That’s all of the tests.”

“So what’s the verdict?” Her voice was resigned, she already knew what the answer would be.

“If we take the lore at face value, you are an actual faerie.” Sam sounded subdued, and she patted his hand.

“It’s ok, Sam. I think we all knew what these tests would show. Can’t blame a girl for holding out hope though, right?” She gave him a small smile. “So, what now?”

Dean finished bandaging her burn and busied himself with putting the first-aid kit away. Castiel looked like he was seriously considering her question. Sam shrugged and looked a little lost. When Dean spoke up, they all turned toward him in surprise.

“We go to the source. The place where they found you, in Phoenix.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	9. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three Hunters and the Angel all take off to Phoenix, AZ, to find answers. They find something.

_ Dean finished bandaging her burn and busied himself with putting the first-aid kit away. Castiel looked like he was seriously considering her question. Sam shrugged and looked a little lost. When Dean spoke up, they all turned toward him in surprise. _

_   
_ _ “We go to the source. The place where they found you, in Phoenix, AZ.” _

* * *

Sam was the first to recover, his expression going from surprised to thoughtful.

“That’s actually a really good idea, Dean. Odds are, if that’s where you came through,” he nodded toward Phoenix, “there might be some residual magic that we can trace. At the very least, it’s a place to start.”

“Residual magic? After almost forty years?” Phoenix expressed her doubts out loud.

“It could still be there. I mean, I don’t know how faerie magic works. Do you?” Sam defended, his question honestly curious rather than a challenge.

Phoenix shrugged, conceding the point.

“All right, we’ll go. Dean?”

“I’ll come.” He nodded, his tone short. He gave Phoenix a look that she was at a loss to interpret, then headed off down the hallway.

“I’ll come, too,” Castiel’s deep voice rumbled. “I may be able to sense the magic.”

“Ok then, we’re all going.” Sam nodded, looking determined and full of purpose. He checked his watch. “It’s only three p.m.. If we head out now, we can make it about half-way before we stop for the night. Head out early tomorrow morning and we can be there a little after noon tomorrow.” He closed a couple of books, starting to clean up from their research.

“I’ll go pack my stuff,” Phoenix stated, heading down the hall to the room she still would not call hers.

Packing was quick, just a couple of changes of clothes in her saddlebags, along with a few assorted weapons. Ten minutes later, she entered the garage, finding Dean there, already. He looked up from where he was stowing his own bag in the Impala’s trunk.

“Hey.” His voice was without inflection, giving her no clue as to how he was feeling.

“Hey.” She winced inwardly at how closed off he seemed. “So, should I follow you guys on my bike, or can I hitch a ride?” She tried to keep her tone light, to put him at ease.

“If you wanna share the backseat with Cass, sure, we have room.” 

Sam and Castiel walked in then, saving her from having to come up with a reply. When Dean went around to the driver’s side, she dropped her bags in the trunk, Sam stowing his at the same time. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. 

Castiel had already taken a seat behind Dean, so Phoenix got in behind Sam. She caught a glance from Dean in the rearview mirror, but he looked away before she could more than notice.

The drive was quiet, no one feeling up to talking. The radio blasted a classic rock station and they all settled into their own thoughts. Around ten p.m., they pulled into a motel driveway, Dean getting them two rooms. Phoenix was a little weirded out by sharing a room with a man she had only just met, and an angel at that, but figured it was for the best. When she went to sleep, Castiel was sitting on the other bed, reading a book.

She woke up a couple of hours later, feeling refreshed, and finding the angel in the same position as when she went to sleep. She left him there to go take a shower, then spent more time than she actually needed in the bathroom getting her hair just right. Until she realized she was stalling. Taking a deep breath, she left the safety of the bathroom, taking a seat on her bed. 

“So. Castiel.”

When she spoke, he put the book down and turned toward her, his piercing eyes suddenly completely focused on her.

“You said faeries are older than angels.”

“Yes.”

“But I thought God created everything?”

“God created angels, and humans, and gave life to the Earth, but there were other powers that existed before God. Faeries exist in a realm outside of this,” he waved his hand vaguely as if to encompass everything around them, “outside of the creation of God. We don’t know how long they’ve been around, or really anything of substance at all about them.”

Phoenix digested the information, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip.

“So how come you were able to see my,” she waved her hands to indicate whatever it was he had seen around her the first time they met, “this? If it’s so different?”

“Angels are able to perceive magic, in many forms. What you are, it’s a form of magic, and so I can see it.” His tone suggested it was completely logical.

“So you’re seeing my soul?”

“No. You don’t have a soul.” He held up a hand to stop her when she started to object. “Let me finish. God created souls. Since faeries are older than God, they don’t have souls. They are pure magic. Which is probably why you’re immune to other forms of magic.”

Phoenix nodded slowly, her thoughts racing. She lit up suddenly, an idea popping into her head.

“Maybe that’s how that witch managed to cast that spell on me? Maybe it was faerie magic?”

“That’s...a theory.” Castiel nodded. “I don’t see how a witch could have learned faerie magic, but it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility.”

Phoenix felt good about having figured out the one thing that had been bothering her ever since she had found out she may be a faerie. The two of them sat quietly for a while. When Phoenix stayed silent, Castiel eventually picked up his book and went back to reading. They spent a few hours just sitting silently, each with their own thoughts.

When Sam finally knocked on their door, both of them were ready to go. The car was quiet save for the music and the sound of the road, and no one made any attempt to break the silence. It was a little after two p.m. when they rolled into Phoenix, Arizona. 

Phoenix knew exactly the spot where the cops had picked her up, having not only her memories but also the police reports she had hacked from the police department. She led them there, Dean finding a parking spot along the street half a block away. They had to be careful getting their weapons out of the trunk with all the people passing by, but they managed. A couple of minutes later, they were walking along the alley where Phoenix had been found all those years ago.

* * *

_ “Dispatch, we have a child here, apparently unsupervised.” _

_ The crackling over the radio distorted whatever came through from the other end, but the police officer seemed to hear it. He had a nice smile and the little girl came up to him willingly. She was only wearing what looked like an oversized t-shirt, falling to cover her bare feet. The cop had put her in his car and driven her to a big building with lots of people. Everyone was very nice to her, and that night she had slept in a real bed, clean and safe. The only dark cloud was her inability to answer any of their questions about who she was or where she came from. They called her Jane, and she answered to it. When mother and father came to pick her up, they named her Phoenix.  _

_ She never told the nice people, or her parents, her biggest secret. She never told them that she could see the monsters. _

* * *

Phoenix shook herself to clear her mind, the memories suddenly so vivid after all these years. Coming back to the present, she kept pace with Castiel, the two of them walking slowly along the alley where they had found her. They had started in the middle, the brothers going one way, her and Castiel the other. They had agreed to cover the alley, then go down the block to the next one, figuring she would have avoided crossing the heavily trafficked street.

Looking at Castiel, she noticed he had a strange look in his eyes. When she looked closer, she realized his eyes were actually glowing, an electric blue color. The effect was easy to miss in the bright daylight. She was uncertain what they were looking for, so she just kept pace with the angel, letting him do his thing. She wondered if Dean and Sam had found anything.

By the time they met back up in the same alley, no one had found anything. 

“We could expand the search?” Sam suggested, although his tone revealed that he did not give much stock to the plan.

“If it is faerie magic we’re looking for, and if it’s hidden, then it could be that only Phoenix will be able to find it,” Castiel offered, making all of their eyes turn to her.

“Don’t look at me, I don’t know what I’m doing,” Phoenix objected.

“What if you try the thing you did yesterday, with the squirrel?” Sam put in.

“I’m not even sure what I did, but I guess I can try,” Phoenix conceded reluctantly.

Standing away from the guys, she faced the wall on the north side of the alley, doing her best to ignore the pungent smells coming from the dumpsters lining the narrow passage. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. As if by instinct, the power surged inside her. She felt it expand outside her body, making her aware of every living thing around her, each one a light, from the pinpricks of insects, to the blazing bonfire that was Castiel. Casting out through the power, she searched for anything that seemed different. Soon enough she felt it, a resonance, and she followed it, walking blindly with her eyes still closed. She felt a hand on her arm, gently guiding her around obstacles and she was grateful even though she had no real need for it. 

The two hunters and the angel followed her lead, along the sidewalk and into the alley the brothers had checked earlier. About mid-way, she stopped. In her mind she could see it, blazing brighter than the angel, a swirl of energy in a roughly oval shape.

“It’s right here. You were right, Castiel, it’s hidden somehow, or needs something specific to activate it.” She reached toward it, the soft touch of a hand still on her arm. 

“No!”

“Wait!”

“Oh, crap!”

The three distinct voices faded, replaced by a rushing sound as if she was standing in a waterfall. The only thing tethering her to reality was the touch on her arm and she focused all of her mind on that one thing.

Then everything stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	10. The Memory Remains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix and Dean are on their own in hostile territory. They finally find out what is going on.

_ “No!” _

_ “Wait!” _

_ “Oh, crap!” _

_ The three distinct voices faded, replaced by a rushing sound as if she was standing in a waterfall. The only thing tethering her to reality was the touch on her arm and she focused all of her mind on that one thing. _

_ Then everything stopped. _

* * *

Without a sound, Phoenix and Dean shimmered out of existence before their eyes. Sam stumbled through the spot, having failed to grab either of them before they were gone. In frustration, he slammed his fist into the brick wall with a cry of anger. 

“Sam, that’s not going to help.” Castiel’s tone was completely reasonable. He stepped up to Sam and healed his broken hand with a touch. 

“What the hell just happened, Cass?” Sam sounded desperate.

“It would appear the two of them were transported by the same portal that Phoenix came through thirty-two years ago,” Castiel stated matter-of-factly.

“Can you see it? Can we get them back? Or follow them through?” Sam paced through the spot where his brother and his friend had disappeared.

Castiel was quiet for a moment, his eyes squinted in concentration. He shook his head.

“As far as I can make out, there is nothing here. It must be pure faerie magic, very powerfully warded.”

“So what do we do now?” Sam thrust his hands through his hair. “I can’t lose my brother, Cass. Not again.”

“There is nothing we can do, Sam. We have to trust Dean and Phoenix to take care of themselves.” He put a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “They are both very capable, they will be ok.” 

Sam let out a frustrated huff, waving his arm through the spot where they disappeared, then turning away. 

“Dammit!” 

“What?” Castiel frowned up at the tall hunter.

“Dean had the car keys,” Sam grumbled. “He’s gonna kill me for hotwiring his Baby.”

“I think that’s really the least of our problems, Sam.” Castiel frowned at the hunter as they made their way back to the car.

* * *

Dean gradually became aware of a white noise surrounding him. It sounded a lot like a large group of people whispering. His mind worked overtime trying to remember what had happened. Through the fog in his brain, images started to emerge. The alley, Phoenix, then darkness. Without opening his eyes, he took stock of himself, relieved that he seemed to be in one piece and, more importantly, not immobilized. He wiggled his fingers, feeling the surface beneath him. It felt cold and smooth, probably some sort of polished stone. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell it was light around him, wherever that was, so he carefully peeled his eyelids back, not wanting to blind himself. 

Phoenix jerked awake, panic rising in her chest. There had been the portal, and she had been pulled through, along with one of the guys. She looked around, spotting Dean lying on the polished marble floor next to her. She saw him begin to move, then froze, her eyes shifting around the room. 

The two hunters had landed in a large room lined with people. Behind them were a set of massive wooden double doors, intricately carved. At the other end, past the dozens of people, stood what could only be described as a throne. It appeared to be carved out of a single piece of wood, the seemingly haphazard pattern of branches upon closer inspection forming the shapes of animals and plants. The man seated on the throne was tall, obvious even when he was sitting down, with long flowing hair that seemed to have moss braided into it. Even from halfway across the room his eyes were a deep forest green, matching the rich robes he was wearing. Those eyes blazed at the two people suddenly landing in his throne room.

Phoenix reached out to Dean, giving him a little shake.

“Dean,” she hissed, her eyes locked on the figure on the throne.

Dean finally opened his eyes, studying the people around them. They looked...not quite normal. He squinted at them to figure out what it was that was off about them. Gradually he became aware of little details - pointed ears, slanted eyes, sharp features - and his heart sped up.

“Phoenix...where are we?”

Instead of answering, she nudged him to turn around. When he spotted the figure at the far end of the room, his eyes widened and he felt panic bubble up inside him. His hands groped for the weapons he always carried but found nothing.

Phoenix noticed his distress and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. Meanwhile, she herself was experiencing a strange sense of deja vu that she had no explanation for. She would surely remember if she had been in this place before, but at the same time, it all looked oddly familiar.

A deep booming voice snapped both of their attention to the figure on the throne, who was now standing, pointing an elaborate staff at the two of them.

“HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE HERE?!”

Phoenix felt herself shrink back from the enraged man, too distressed to notice the details Dean had. She felt deeply grateful when the hunter moved in front of her protectively.

“We didn’t really have a choice. So if you’ll just show us how to get back, we’ll be happy to get out of your hair.” Dean tried for flippant, but his voice had a definite edge of tension to it.

“You are not my concern.” The tall man waved a hand dismissively at Dean, then pointed a long slender finger at Phoenix. “You, on the other hand, you were banished. How are you here? You will tell me before I have you executed for your crime.”

“I...what?” Phoenix blinked in confusion.

Dean had gotten to his feet and now leaned down to help Phoenix up. 

“What is he talking about?” Dean hissed to Phoenix while he was turned away from the tall angry man.

Phoenix shrugged, her eyes darting around the room, widening as she realized the people around them were definitely not human.

“What crime? If you don’t mind my asking.” Dean fell back on the default, stall the bad guy.

“What crime? If she is here and brought you, she knows very well what her crime is. Tell him, traitor.”

“I don’t...I don’t know?” Phoenix’s voice came out sounding small and scared, and she cursed herself for showing weakness.

“Look, buddy, neither of us has been here before, and we have no idea what you’re talking about, so maybe you could explain?” Dean pulled Phoenix over to his left, keeping her behind himself, but making sure they would both have room to move if they had to fight.

Another tall slender figure approached the first one, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. 

“Approach.”

Dean hesitated but could see no viable alternative. Taking Phoenix’s hand, he led the way, cautiously approaching the throne. When the tall angry man held up a hand for them to stop, they did, now only about four feet away. 

The man wiggled his fingers in the air, making Phoenix gasp. Dean squinted but could see nothing.

“So, you really don’t remember. And yet, you’re here.” He sat back down and scowled at the hunters. “It doesn’t matter. You broke your banishment, so you will be executed. And you,” he turned to Dean, “will be put to work. You’re ours, and now that we have you here, we’re not letting you go.”

“Ok, wait just a minute. What the hell are you even talking about? We don’t even know who you are, or where we are, and you want to kill her and enslave me? I don’t think so, buddy.” Dean managed to sound annoyed and put out, even though his insides were boiling.

“How dare you, you little ant?” The angry man started to rage, when the other slender man leaned in and whispered something, instantly calming the first man. “You’re right. You deserve to know who your executioner is.” He stood up, his robes fanning behind him, the crystal at the top of the staff glowing softly. “I am Oberon, King of Faerie.” He pointed at Dean. “Your master.” His finger moved to Phoenix. “And your judge and executioner!”

The room felt hushed, all of the other faeries having gone quiet. The silence was broken by Dean’s voice.

“Right. Oberon. Gotcha. And why exactly do you think you have the right to enslave and execute us?”

The king’s eyes blazed green fire for a moment before he calmed himself.

“You have been marked as ours since you were first taken. Since you’ve walked right into our hands, we’re not letting you go again,” Oberon explained, enunciating each word pedantically. “As for her,” he sneered, “her crime is unspeakable. She was banished to your realm, a spell placed on her to make her appear human. Since she has broken her banishment, she must die.”

“Yeah, wow, that seems a little harsh, seeing as how she doesn’t even remember what she did.”

“How did you even find the portal? It is completely concealed from anyone not of Faerie blood. With her memory gone, you shouldn’t have been able to sense it.”

“Ah, well, you see, there was this witch, and Phoenix here got in the way of a spell that apparently triggered her hidden Faerie magic. That’s how we found the portal. Still doesn’t remember a thing though. Right, Phoenix?” Dean nudged her, startling her out of a frozen shock.

“Uh, no, I don’t...remember...anything.”

“That’s impossible. No human magic would have any effect on a faerie. The audacity to try and get away with such a feeble lie.”

Phoenix finally found her voice again.

“It’s not a lie. I think the spell must have been Faerie magic. Someone must have taught it to the witch,” she defended herself.

The king blinked, then his brows knit as he frowned out at the court. 

“Find me the traitor that taught our magic to a mortal,” he growled, his order immediately obeyed as a handful of guards hurried out of the room. 

When he returned his gaze to Phoenix, she had to brace herself to not tremble under the green fire blazing from his eyes.

“Nevertheless, your guilt is not in question here, you were tried and sentenced already. Prepare yourself for your death.”

“There you go again,” Dean interjected. “The spell might have unlocked her powers, but she still doesn’t remember squat. So before you chop her head off, maybe you could enlighten us.”

There was a deep growl from Oberon, making Phoenix want to sink through the floor and hide forever. She steeled herself, drawing strength from Dean.

“Very well.” He waved his hands in the air, Phoenix’s eyes following their movements, or maybe something else that Dean was unable to see. 

Suddenly she fell to her knees, a ragged gasping sob falling from her lips. She covered her face with her hands and curled in on herself, her body wracked with grief. Dean fell to his knees next to her, gathering her into his embrace. His face was distorted with rage as he looked up at the king.

“What the hell did you do to her?!”

“Unlocked her memories. She now remembers everything, including her crime.” Oberon’s voice was strangely detached as he watched the two of them, her more than Dean.

Dean growled at the faerie king, holding Phoenix tightly, but she was inconsolable. She lay limply in his arms, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	11. Dream A Little Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean manages to convince Oberon to let them both go but she has retreated into her own mind, consumed by guilt for what she had done.

_“What the hell did you do to her?!”_

_“Unlocked her memories. She now remembers everything, including her crime.” Oberon’s voice was strangely detached as he watched the two of them, her more than Dean._

_Dean growled at the faerie king, holding Phoenix tightly, but she was inconsolable. She lay limply in his arms, tears streaking down her face as she sobbed._

* * *

 

Dean gently laid Phoenix’s limp body on the floor, then stood to face the king. Rage distorted his features, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“You want her punished, fine. Let her live with the memory of what she did, in the human world. That was the punishment she was given, let her serve it out.” The words ground out through his clenched teeth.

Oberon regarded the hunter blankly for so long, Dean was about to launch into another speech. Finally, the king blinked.

“Very well. You will both be returned to your realm. With the memory returned, she is likely to perish, in any case.” He turned his blazing green eyes on Dean. “You, Dean Winchester, are still marked. We will have you, someday.” His voice softened a hair. “But not today. Go. The portal is open.”

Dean wasted no time scooping Phoenix up into his arms and heading back to where they had landed. He, of course, was unable to see the portal, but aiming where he thought it was, he felt the same sensation as before, then everything went dark.

When he opened his eyes, Dean was lying on the cold wet ground of the alley in Phoenix, Arizona. It was night time, and there was no one around, except an unconscious Phoenix. He knelt next to her and tried to get her to wake up, but nothing he did had any effect. He was somewhat comforted by the fact that her heartbeat was strong and regular and she was breathing easily, even though her breath hitched every so often. The only strange thing, besides her not waking up, were the tears leaking steadily from her closed eyes.

Dean dug through his pockets, finding his cell phone. Holding his breath, he turned it on, letting out a sigh of relief when it lit up. He found Sam’s number almost by instinct.

“Dean?!”

“Yeah, Sammy, it’s me. We’re back. Where are you?”

“Dude! You guys have been gone for days! Where...What…? You know what, nevermind. I’ll come pick you up.”

The call ended and Dean knelt there next to Phoenix for a few minutes, trying to calm his mind. Realizing it would be seventeen hours before Sam was there to pick them up, he picked Phoenix up and went to find a safer place for them. He sent a silent thanks to Chuck, or whoever was listening, when he spotted a hotel just half a block from the alley, on the other side of the street. With the light nighttime traffic, he jaywalked without a second thought. The hotel clerk was surprised, to say the least, when Dean entered with Phoenix cradled in his arms.

“Oh my god! Is she ok?”

“Yeah, she just fell asleep and I didn’t wanna wake her. You got a room?”

“Yes, of course. If you’ll sign here….” He blushed when he realized Dean had an armful of person. “You know what, just come down later and sign it, sir, not to worry.” He came out from behind the reception desk, keycard in hand. “I’ll just come upstairs with you, help you with the door.” He led the way to the elevator, the ride up completely silent. He even left without waiting for a tip after opening the door for them.

Dean gently laid Phoenix on top of the cover on the double bed, pulling her boots off and covering her with a blanket. Pulling out his phone, he texted Sam the name and address of the hotel, reading it off the hotel stationery. Feeling completely drained, he toed off his own boots and slipped under the blanket, snuggling up to Phoenix’s unconscious form.

A sharp knock on the door dragged Dean from his sleep and he rasped out, “Just a minute.” Checking the clock on the bedside table, he felt confused, then realized he had no idea what time it had been when he went to sleep. He ambled over to the door, opening it without even checking who it was. When it opened to reveal Sam, he frowned in confusion.

“Uhm, hey Sammy. Did you teleport to get here so quickly?”

“What? No. Why?” Sam sounded as confused as Dean felt, as he made his way into the room.

Dean checked the hallway out of habit before closing and locking the door.

“Because I just talked to you?”

“Dean, you called me over seventeen hours ago. I drove straight here. Have you been asleep all this time?” Sam frowned, concerned.

“Uh...I guess?” Dean shuffled back to the bed, sitting down on the edge after checking on Phoenix.

“Is she ok?” Sam came over to stand next to the bed, looking down at Phoenix.

“As far as I can tell. Except she won’t wake up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, ever since we landed in that alley, she’s been asleep, or comatose, or something. She keeps crying,” Dean indicated the wet tear tracks, “but nothing I did had any effect.”

Sam frowned and bent down to check her vitals, ignoring Dean’s eye-roll.

“Like I didn’t already do that, Sam. I’m not stupid.”

“Ok, so what do you wanna do? Take her to a hospital?”

“I highly doubt there is any hospital where they know how to treat faeries. We’ll take her home, Cass can take a look and if he doesn’t know, then we’ll just wait for her to wake up.”

Sam’s expression said he did not agree with his brother, but Dean just could not find the will to care at that moment. With no baggage, Sam simply picked Phoenix up and carried her to the car. Dean got in the driver’s seat, growling at his brother when he saw the damage beneath the steering wheel column.

“Don’t even, Dean. You had the keys, what was I supposed to do?” Sam’s voice responded from the backseat, where he was making Phoenix comfortable.

Dean opted not to reply, knowing Sam was right, but still miffed about the damage. The drive back to the Bunker was quiet, the brothers switching places about half-way so they could drive non-stop.

When Dean turned the engine off in the Bunker’s garage, they both felt like hammered crap. Sam started to help Dean with Phoenix but was waved off.

“I’ve got it, Sammy. Go get some sleep.” Dean’s voice was raspy with fatigue.

Sam nodded and left, Dean watching him shuffle down the steps and disappear into the hallway. The elder Winchester rubbed a hand over his face, in an attempt to rub some of the tiredness off. Leaning into the backseat, he gently cradled Phoenix’s body, pulling her out of the car. With arms that were trembling from exertion, he held her tightly to his chest as he made his way to her room.

It had always bugged him that she kept referring to it as a ‘guest room’. In his mind, it was her room, had been since the first time she had stayed there. He laid her gently on the bed, covering her with a blanket, and wiping the tears from her face again. Not wanting to leave her, he kicked his boots off and slipped under the blanket with her, snuggling close. He breathed in her scent, oddly unchanged even after being unconscious for several days. Sleep claimed him even as he was trying to puzzle that mystery out.

* * *

_Phoenix knew she was trapped in her own mind, in the memory of what she had done. Even so, it all felt completely real, like it was happening all over again. She felt the thrill of sneaking around behind everyone’s backs, as she slipped between realms to explore. The human realm may be off limits, but there were countless others that no one had bothered to mention._

_Part of her knew it was a memory, the part that tried to stop herself from making the same mistakes. Another part of her realized that precisely because it was a memory, it all had to play out the way it had the first time._

_She saw it again, the realm with the endless forests of what resembled gigantic mushrooms. The tiny little animals scurrying around beneath the strange mushroom trees. They were so curious, came right up to her. She just could not resist taking one with her back to Faerie, even though she would have to keep it hidden. No one could ever know about her trips._

_Her return went unnoticed, and she had felt so proud of herself for getting away with her explorations. Until the next morning, when she woke to a completely silent house. Leaving her bed, she went from room to room, finding no one. Finally, in their bedroom, she found her parents. They were so still, like they were still sleeping, but the unnatural pallor of their skin betrayed their fate. And there, on top of the covers, lay the tiny furry little animal, dead._

_She had been in shock, not even realizing she was screaming until the neighbors came to check on her. Then everything was a blur. They locked her up. The magicians had collected the body of the creature, for study. The trial. The sentence. Then, nothing._

_Phoenix cried out as the cycle started again, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. In the back of her mind, she held on to the memory of Dean, of the real world, but it was slipping from her grasp._

_She felt the thrill of sneaking around behind everyone’s backs, as she slipped between realms to explore. The human realm may be off limits, but there were countless others that no one had bothered to mention._

* * *

For a moment, as Dean drifted awake, he thought he was still dreaming, the feeling of her next to him, the scent of her filling his senses. As soon as his eyes opened, it all came rushing back. He sat up, looking down at her unconscious form. With his thumb, he wiped the tears from her temple, uselessly, watching as fresh tears trickled from under her closed eyelids. He sat there watching her until he could no longer ignore Nature’s call, reluctantly leaving her alone.

Sam was coming out of the showers, the brothers passing each other in the hallway awkwardly. Dean did not want to discuss what had happened, and Sam had no idea what to say, so they both remained silent.

After seeing to his needs, Dean returned to her room. He took a seat on the bed next to her, a book in his hands. Pushing down the memories of when he would read to his brother when they were children, he opened the book and started reading.

Sam passed by the door several times during the day, but never opened it. Whenever he came by, he heard Dean’s voice, reading the same stories he had read to Sam all those years ago. The younger Winchester felt frustratedly helpless, even though he spent hours on end researching.

When Dean found his brother in the library, nose in a book, his voice was hoarse from hours of reading aloud.

“Sammy. We need to call Cass.”

Sam jumped in surprise, his head whipping around to look at Dean.

“Dean. Uh yeah. We can do that.” Sam picked his phone up from where it lay on the table, just holding it. “Uhm...how...how is she?” He had been about to ask how Dean was but thought better of it. He knew his brother too well, Dean always put others before himself.

“No change. Maybe Cass will know what’s up. Can you call him? Please?”

The pleading tone in Dean’s voice shook Sam more than he wanted to admit. Dean was always the strong one, the one Sam always leaned on. To see him this vulnerable was unsettling. Pulling his eyes away from his brother, Sam pressed to call the angel.

“Sam?”

“Hey, Cass. You’re on speaker, Dean’s here, too.”

“Hello, Dean.”

“Cass...I...she needs you.” Dean’s voice was ragged, his tone pleading.

“What’s wrong?” The angel was immediately on high alert.

“She won’t wake up. And she won’t stop crying. Please, Cass, you gotta come fix her.”

“I will be there as soon as I can. A few hours at most.”

The call ended, and Dean shuffled tiredly back down the hallway. Sam assumed he was going back to her side. He had tried to get Dean to eat, but all he would accept was water. With a heavy sigh, Sam returned to his research. Just in case Castiel was unable to help.

* * *

_Phoenix grinned to herself as she snuck out of her parents’ house again, heading through the forest to the hidden portal she had set up. Halfway there, she stopped and frowned, a nagging feeling at the back of her mind telling her there was something she had forgotten. Something was off. Shrugging the feeling off, she continued. On the other side of the portal was a whole different realm, a forest of gigantic mushrooms stretching on as far as the eye could see. And on the ground beneath the mushroom trees were the most adorable little furry animals, their black pearl eyes and twitchy little noses absolutely enchanting. Without a second thought, she slipped one in a pocket before she headed back through the portal._

_The whole way home, she held the tiny little thing in her hand, exchanging cheeps and chirps with it. When she had snuck back inside, she found an old box, lined it with some towels, and set the little creature inside. She smiled at it as it sniffed around, then curled up in a little nest. Excitement still bubbling inside her, she got ready for bed, slipping beneath the sheets._

_Again, there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but she brushed it off and closed her eyes to sleep. Moments later, when she opened them, it was morning, the rising sun streaming in through her open window. Oddly, there were no sounds coming from the rest of the house. Usually, Mother and Father were already up and at work by the time she woke up. A strange feeling of dread and foreboding filled her as she wandered the house, from one empty room to the next._

_As she stood before the closed door to her parents’ bedroom, she felt the tears streaming down her face, inexplicably. She reached out and pushed the door open, took a step into the room. The tableau before her was etched into her mind, Mother and Father, pale and...dead. That sound...what was it? Oh, right, it was her scream. There were the neighbors, the shock on their faces. The magistrate. The magicians. The trial. The sentence._

_Darkness._

_Phoenix grinned to herself as she snuck out of her parents’ house again, heading through the forest to the hidden portal she had set up._

* * *

The knock on the door startled Dean awake and he realized he had dozed off sitting there next to her. He had to clear his throat before he could get his voice to work enough to call out to Sam and Castiel. He saw the expressions on both of their faces but chose to ignore them. He slid off the bed, standing next to it.

“Cass. Thank you for coming.” He turned his gaze back to Phoenix. “Please, help her.”

Castiel approached on the other side of the bed, crouching down next to her. Placing his hand on her forehead, he extended his grace to encompass her, trying to feel what was wrong. As before, he was held back by a force so different he had no words to describe it. Standing, he shook his head at Dean.

“There’s nothing I can do, Dean. She’s just too different.”

Dean let out a ragged sigh, causing his brother to move up and place a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll figure something out, Dean. I promise.”

Dean shrugged and slid back on the bed next to her. He took her hand in his, just holding it, his eyes on her face. Castiel and Sam looked at each other, their concern for Dean evident in their eyes. Sam nodded his head toward the door, and the two of them left Dean alone. Castiel followed as Sam led the way back to the library, where they could talk without Dean hearing them.

“Did you get anything, Cass?”

“No.” The angel shook his head. “It could be her innate magic resistance or just her nature, I don’t know, but something rebuffs me every time I try to connect with her.”

Sam frowned, not knowing exactly what Castiel was talking about, but not about to ask either. He sat back down at the table, the piles of books almost hiding him from view.

“I’ll keep researching. We have to find some way to help her. Although,” he paused and took a deep breath, “to be honest, I’m almost more concerned about Dean. I mean, I knew he had feelings for her, I’d have to be blind to miss it, but I didn’t know it was this bad. I think...I think if she dies, he might….” His voice hitched and he trailed off, rubbing a hand over his face.

“It won’t come to that, Sam. I’ll try to get access to whatever faerie lore Heaven has. You keep looking here.” Castiel grimaced. “I never thought I’d say this, but I wish Crowley was still alive, he may have known something.”

“Crowley may be dead, but his mother isn’t.” Sam grabbed his phone, typing a text to Rowena as he spoke. “She’s a witch, she might know something. Or at least be able to find out.”

“Right. Well, I’ll go see what I can find on my end. I’ll let you know.” Castiel nodded and strode toward the stairs, heading out of the Bunker.

Sam rubbed both hands over his face, raking them through his hair and taking a couple of deep breaths. Setting his phone down, he picked up the book he had been working on. They would fix this. It would be ok. Dean would be ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	12. Enchanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam finds a spell that might let them communicate with Phoenix. Dean does a stupid thing.

_“Right. Well, I’ll go see what I can find on my end. I’ll let you know.” Castiel nodded and strode toward the stairs, heading out of the Bunker._

_Sam rubbed both hands over his face, raking them through his hair and taking a couple of deep breaths. Setting his phone down, he picked up the book he had been working on. They would fix this. It would be ok. Dean would be ok._

* * *

Two days later, Sam was truly concerned about his brother. Dean refused to eat, spending all his time sitting in bed with Phoenix, reading to her, or just holding her hand when his voice gave out. So far, Sam had been able to get him to drink water at least, but time was running out.

That was why, when he found the communication spell in a crumbling scroll written in ancient Ogham runes, he had to step away to collect his thoughts. This could be it. He had painstakingly translated each rune, working over the translation until he was sure he had it as perfect as it was going to get. He had taken a picture of the scroll and sent it to Rowena, along with his translation, and had gotten back her reluctant concession that he had gotten it right.

Leaving the scroll and his notes on the table, he went outside for some fresh air to clear his head. This could be it, the break they had been looking for, the thing that would allow them to get through to Phoenix and maybe fix her. Unable to stand still, he started walking along the gravel road, hands in his pockets, his mind swirling with thoughts as he continued to have a conversation with himself, debating the pros and cons of actually using the spell.

Dean felt the slight _*thump*_ in the air as the Bunker door opened and closed. Gently, he placed her hand back on the bed, letting go of it. He had no idea how long he had been sitting there holding it, but his body complained when he stood up. Shuffling stiffly through the hallway, he made his way to the library, finding it empty, as he had suspected. Feeling resentment towards Sam for, as he thought, giving up, Dean moved to where Sam had been sitting.

The notepad with Sam’s handwriting, several words underlined, drew Dean’s attention and he picked it up. He had to blink several times to clear his vision, realizing somewhere in his mind that he was probably dehydrated and sleep deprived. He read through the notes several times before his brain processed what he was actually reading. When it finally sunk in, his knees almost buckled.

Sitting down, Dean studied the spell in detail, going through all of Sam’s notes. The scroll itself was useless to him, it would take several books and too much time for him to do another translation of his own. Gradually, he realized that this could work, although not the way it was written originally. Picking up Sam’s discarded pencil, Dean started making some notes of his own, modifying the spell to suit his needs.

The Bunker door opened just as Dean set the pencil down, and he hightailed it out of the room as Sam’s boots thumped down the stairs. Dean went straight to the storage room where they kept spell components, picking up the jar he needed. He had almost made it back to Phoenix’s room when Sam cut him off.

“Dean, what are you doing?”

“Don’t worry about it, Sam. I’m gonna fix everything.” His voice sounded desperate and a little hysterical, even to his own ears.

“Is that...African Dream Root?” Sam nodded toward the jar in Dean’s hand, frowning.

“Yeah. So?” Dean’s tone was defensive. Maybe too defensive.

“What did you do, Dean?” Sam almost looked scared.

“Nothing!” Yes, his tone was definitely way too defensive, but he didn’t care as he clutched the jar of African Dream Root to his chest.

Sam managed to snatch the notepad from under Dean’s arm, keeping it from his brother simply because Dean’s hands were full of spell ingredients.

“You modified the spell? What is this even supposed to do?” Sam’s tone managed to be both concerned and curious.

“It uh,” Dean fidgeted with the items in his hands nervously,“ I thought...maybe...if I could...she’s in a coma or something, right? So I figured, enter her dream, or mind, or whatever, and try to talk sense into her.” Dean’s voice dropped to a mumble.

“Dean, that’s reckless, and you know it. You made random modifications to a spell we’ve never tried. You don’t know what’ll happen. You could get trapped in her mind. You could die. You could kill her.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the only shot we’ve got, all right. Might not be the best shot, but it’s a shot, and that’s good enough for me.” Dean looked up at his brother, no longer even attempting to hide the tears welling in his eyes. “I gotta do something, Sam. I’m losing her.”

Sam let out a deep frustrated sigh, then handed the notepad back. Dean fumbled with it for a moment, finally managing to stick it back under his arm.

“Will you at least give me a couple of hours to go over this spell you made up? Maybe show it to Rowena, see if it’ll actually work?”

“No. You do what you want, Sam, but I’m doing this now. I can’t wait any longer.”

Dean pushed past Sam, fumbling the door open. He dropped the spell items on the desk, wincing when the metal bowl clanged off the wood, even though he knew by now that nothing would wake her.

Sam watched his brother, an exasperated expression on his face before he turned and stalked back to the library. He had the spell in his head, and as soon as he sat down, he put it all on paper. Taking a picture of the notes, he sent it to Rowena, asking her to let him know if she thought it would work.

Moments later, he got a response.

Huffing in frustration, he tossed the phone on the table and ran his fingers through his hair. He hated feeling helpless. With no other ideas forthcoming, Sam made his way to Phoenix’s room, finding Dean stretched out on the bed next to Phoenix, both of them unconscious to the world. Sam pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down to wait.

* * *

**_Dean jerked awake, his head whipping around to take in his surroundings, automatically looking for threats. What he saw was a dense forest of some sort of trees he had never seen before. There was less underbrush than he would have expected in a deciduous forest, but still enough that his line of sight was obscured where he was lying on the ground. He listened for anything out of the ordinary, hearing only the rustling of leaves moving in the breeze, and possibly some small animal digging around in the forest floor detritus. Getting to his feet, he crouched in the bushes where he had woken up, looking around. While he found he could see for quite some distance through the trees, the oddly symmetrical trunks made him uncertain just how far he was seeing. The whole thing made his head hurt._ **

**_Just then, he picked up the soft sound of fabric brushing against leaves, and he scanned the woods around him for the source. A softly whispered laugh gave him a direction and he finally spotted her. It was Phoenix, but not. Her ears were more pointed, her eyes more slanted, her facial features sharper. She looked like a faerie. Her clothes were different too, some sort of dark green fabric pants and long loose shirt, and a shawl made of some gauzy material._ **

_**She seemed to be coming from deeper in the forest, moving with a fluid grace that was almost mesmerizing to watch. Dean stood up and stepped out of the shrubbery where he had been crouching, and she instantly spotted him, her head whipping around, her whole body tensing into a ready stance.** _

_“Who are you? How did you get here?”_

_“Phoenix, it’s me, Dean.”_

_“My name isn’t ‘Phoenix’ and I don’t know any ‘Dean’.” **She paused and cocked her head, her eyes widening.** “You’re human!” _

_“Yes. You do know me. I’m not sure where this,” **he gestured around them,** “is supposed to be exactly, but I do know we’re in your mind.” _

**_When she frowned in consternation and gave no verbal response, Dean went on._ **

_“You were cursed, or we thought you were, by a witch, remember? It turned out to be some sort of faerie magic to unlock your power?” **He watched her for a reaction.** _

_“I….” **She blinked, then her eyes refocused.** “No! You’re making it up! I’ve never been to the human realm!” _

**_Dean raised his hands, palms out, in a calming gesture._ **

_“It’s ok, no need to get worked up. Just...hear me out? I’m not gonna hurt you.”_

**_She kept her ready stance but gave a short nod which he took as a sign to continue._ **

_“We didn’t know what happened to you, until our friend Castiel, the angel, told us that you’re a faerie.” **He paused to gauge her reaction, but she was giving him nothing, her expression carefully blank. At least she was listening.** "After we did some tests to confirm his findings, we went to the place where you were found as a child, in Phoenix, Arizona. You and I were taken through a portal to the Faerie court.” _

**_She blinked rapidly at the mention of the Faerie court but gave no other indication that she had heard him._ **

_“The king did something to you, said he unlocked your memories, of something you did that got you banished to our world.”_

**_She tensed and clutched something to her chest, her shoulders curving inward as if to protect whatever it was._ **

_“He was gonna have you killed, but I convinced him to send us back. But you fell asleep or into a coma or something and I can’t get you to wake up. You’re stuck in your own mind, Phoenix, and you need to wake up.” **His desperation gave an edge to his words, and he saw her flinch.** _

**_She looked down at whatever was in her hand and stayed like that for several long moments. When Dean had almost given up hope that she would respond, her voice came, trembling and broken._ **

_“It’s all my fault. They’re dead...because of me. I did it...I killed them….” **She broke off on a sob, falling to her knees still cradling whatever it was in her hands.** _

**_Dean hesitated only for a moment before rushing forward and kneeling next to her. He wrapped her in his arms, pulling her tight to his chest._ **

_“Shh...it’s ok. It’s gonna be ok, sweetheart. I just need you to wake up. Please, wake up for me?”_

_“How can I? It was my fault. My curiosity got my parents killed. I disobeyed the law and was punished for it. This…” **She waved her free hand, indicating the area around them.** “This is no less than I deserve, to live my crime over and over again. To see my parents dead, again and again.” **She broke off into wracking sobs, her free arm wrapping around Dean, her head on his chest.** _

**_He could feel the wetness from her tears and he felt his own eyes tear up at her pain._ **

_“Phoenix, sweetheart, maybe...maybe if you tell me what happened...it’ll stop?”_

**_Through her tears and sobbing, she related the story for him, how she had found a loophole in their laws, and disobeyed by going through her own portal to different realms, exploring them at will. How she had found that one realm, and brought the little creature home. She showed it to him, curled up in her hand, no larger than a mouse. She told him how she had brought it home, and gone to sleep, and how it had snuck away during the night and poisoned her parents. She told him what the magicians had related during the trial, that the creature had laid its eggs inside the bodies of her parents, the act itself killing them, intending their flesh to feed its spawn. They had burned the bodies, ensuring none of the eggs would survive. Then they had sentenced her to banishment, to live her life in the human world. To become one of them, only to outlive them all, cursed to lose everyone she knew and loved, and never knowing why. Until that witch cast the spell to unlock her bound faerie nature._ **

**_Dean held her all through her story, his heart breaking for her. At some point, the creature had disappeared, then the forest had faded away until it was just the two of them sitting in what seemed to be an all-encompassing fog. His chin on the top of her head, he gently rubbed soothing circles on her back._ **

_“I can’t imagine what you went through. But what they did to you, it was plain cruel. You didn’t mean to cause any harm to anyone, you were just curious. You had no way of knowing what would happen. The loss of your parents should have been punishment enough. To inflict all this other crap on you, it was just...it’s not right.”_

**_He pulled away from her just enough to be able to cradle her face with his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes._ **

_“But Phoenix, you don’t have to keep punishing yourself. All of this happened so long ago, and look at how many people you’ve saved in your life. You’re a hero. And you deserve to live. I need you to live.” **He felt the tears roll down his cheeks and he let them.** “I need you to come back to me, Phoenix, because...because I love you. And I can’t go on without you. Please, come back to me.” _

**_Her eyes flicked back and forth as she looked into his, searching for...something. Finally, after much too long, she drew a ragged breath and nodded._ **

_“I love you too, Dean. Here, in this place, I can feel your love for me. It’s like a bonfire, brighter than an angel’s grace even.” **She placed his hand on her chest, over her heart.** “Can you feel my love for you?” _

**_Dean closed his eyes, letting himself just feel her against him, her heartbeat against his fingers. And there it was. It was a warmth that felt better than a thousand fires. It enveloped him and made him feel safe and comforted and, yes, loved._ **

**_Neither of them could have said who moved first, but suddenly their lips were pressed together, the warmth of their feelings for each other blending together until there was no telling where one ended and the other began._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


	13. Every End Is A Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Phoenix wake up. In bed. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has followed along on Dean and Phoenix's journey. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

_ Dean closed his eyes, letting himself just feel her against him, her heartbeat against his fingers. And there it was. It was a warmth that felt better than a thousand fires. It enveloped him and made him feel safe and comforted and, yes, loved. _

_ Neither of them could have said who moved first, but suddenly their lips were pressed together, the warmth of their feelings for each other blending together until there was no telling where one ended and the other began. _

* * *

They woke up holding hands, Sam standing over them with a worried expression. 

“Dean? Phoenix?”

“We’re ok, Sam.” Dean’s voice rasped from disuse, his eyes on Phoenix.

“Jesus, Dean, you scared me to death! Don’t you ever do anything like that again!” Sam shouted, punching Dean’s shoulder.

Dean looked up at his brother pointedly.

“Fine, Sammy. Now, go away.”

Phoenix laughed softly next to him as Sam huffed and stormed out, thankfully closing the door after himself. Dean turned back to Phoenix, his eyes almost sparkling. 

“You love me.”

“You love me, too.”

He closed the distance between them and their lips met, this time in the real world. Where his were chapped from dehydration, hers were soft and supple, as if she had not just woken from being in a magically induced coma for several days. Pulling away, Dean ran his tongue over his lips.

“I should probably take a shower. And eat something.”

“Ok.”

“Come with me? I don’t want to leave you.”

She grinned but nodded, the two of them getting off the bed. Dean moaned as his body protested, while Phoenix moved with the same effortless grace she had in her mind. She moved in close to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips, and he suddenly felt energized, like he had had a full night’s sleep. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised and she shrugged.

“I’ve got all my powers back,” was all the explanation she gave.

Dean took her hand and they made their way to the showers. When he closed the door behind them, he looked her in the eyes and turned the lock. Walking into her embrace, he moved in to kiss her, but stopped and cocked his head, squinting at her face.

“Something’s different…” He mumbled, then his eyes widened in surprise. 

Her eyes were more slanted, their color closer to turquoise than they had been before. All of her facial features also seemed sharper and more defined. Reaching a hand up, he pushed her hair back, revealing her ears that now went to sharp points at the top. When he looked back into her eyes, he saw her hesitation and insecurity and he brushed his lips against hers.

“It’s gonna take some getting used to, but it doesn’t change how I feel,” he mumbled against her lips, feeling them quirk up into a smile.

Taking half a step away from her, he started unbuttoning his shirt, when she raised her hands and stopped him. Still with her mouth curved up in a small smile, she moved her fingers to unbutton the shirt for him, brushing it off his shoulders. He shrugged out of it, letting it pool on the floor behind him. He sucked in a breath through his teeth when he felt her fingers trail over his flushed skin, in under the hem of his t-shirt, grazing along his abdomen. They traced a path up his torso, his arms lifting up to let her pull the shirt over his head. Her lips brushed against his as her fingers caressed his chest, down his sides, then traced the waistline of his jeans, meeting in the middle. 

He rested his hands on her hips as she popped the button on his jeans, catching himself holding his breath as she pulled the zipper down, his fingers tightening their grip on her. She grinned up at him as she crouched down, shimmying his pants over his hips and down his legs until he could step out of them. He could feel her hot breath ghosting over his cock as she helped him get rid of his socks and he failed to hold back a frustrated sigh when she stood up without touching him. Her eyes twinkled at him with mischievous glee and she pushed him backward, into the shower stall. He turned the water on, feeling it rain down over his body, tensing in anticipation when she started pulling her t-shirt over her head. 

Moments later, she joined him under the spray of hot water, pressing up against him as she reached behind him for the soap. He watched her, unable to take his eyes off her, as she lathered her hands up with the soap before rubbing it over his chest. Her hands were somehow both soft and firm at the same time, massaging stiff muscles while soaping up his skin. He let her turn him at will, covering him in the lather. His mind started to wonder if she was using her faerie magic on him, but he quickly and determinedly squelched the thoughts before they had time to fully form. Instead, he just let himself enjoy the feeling of her hands on him, slipping over his skin, contrasting with the warmth of the water. 

She massaged shampoo into his hair, and he let the water wash it out. When she pressed the bar of soap into his hand, he gave her the same treatment, mimicking on her what she had done to him. He marveled at how her skin felt cool, even under the hot water of the shower. 

Just like she had done to him, he avoided her most sensitive area, but he let his hands roam over her chest, massaging her breasts gently, letting the pad of his thumb flick over her nipples, one at a time. Her eyes were closed, and she let him move her as he wanted, just like he had let her. When he massaged the shampoo into her hair, she gave a low moan of pleasure, making him twitch with desire.

Shampoo rinsed out of her long thick hair, she turned and took the soap from him again. With her eyes on his, she lathered her hands well before setting the soap down, her hands going to his cock, fingers wrapping delicately around his length. He might almost have been embarrassed at the needy groan that escaped his parted lips if he had cared. Her soapy hands stroked him firmly for a moment, even moving down to cradle his balls before she turned him to let the water rinse the soap off. 

Head bent, to avoid inhaling the water, he took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself, before turning around to reciprocate. When his hand cupped her mound, she gracefully lifted one leg and propped it on his hip. Looking down, he watched his fingers slip between her folds, ostensibly washing her as she had done him, but soon enough he was lost in the feeling of her soft warm flesh yielding to his touch. 

She gripped his shoulders, her back arching while she thrust her hips towards him, reveling in his touch combined with the slickness of the hot water on her perpetually cool flesh. When he slipped two fingers inside her, she groaned loudly. He helped her lean her shoulders against the cool tiled wall while his fingers continued to work her towards her release. 

With the wall behind her, she wrapped both of her long slender legs around his waist, riding his fingers like her life depended on it. When he added his thumb on her clit, rubbing in time with his thrusts inside her, she tumbled head-first over the edge, her nails digging into his shoulders as she gripped him tightly, desperate for something to hold onto.

When he removed his fingers, she ground her pussy over his straining cock, letting him know without words that she wanted him inside her. When he sank his length into her, their combined cries of pleasure echoed off the tiled walls. Pressing her against the wall, he thrust into her, goaded on by the way she met every one of them. One of her hands slid down to grip his ass, coaxing him to go faster, harder. Their panting breaths, moans, and growls were the only sounds to be heard aside from the running water, as they drove each other towards their climax.

She clung to him like he was her only lifeline when she reached her peak, every muscle trembling as the pleasure rushed through her. He followed a moment later, her muscles milking him of every drop he had to give.

For several long moments, they stood there, intertwined, connected, breathing each other’s air. A light chuckle from her broke the spell, making him smile. They pulled away from each other, only enough to wash up. Turning the water off, they grabbed towels from the stash in the room, wrapping up in the soft terry cloth before making a run back to her room.

He wrapped her in his arms at the foot of the bed, their lips meeting in a languorous kiss, lips meeting lips, tongues licking, exploring, teeth nipping. When she sank down to sit at the foot of the bed, he followed, pulling her towards him until she was straddling his lap. She pulled away only enough to nip and suck at his neck, while he struggled to get the towels out of the way. 

Skin against skin, they lay down together, their bodies touching in every place possible as they scooted up until their heads were at least near the pillows. He could feel how ready she was, and since he would need a few more minutes to recharge, he rolled them both over so that he hovered above her. He gave her a smirk before starting to kiss a trail down her neck, along both of her collarbones, stopping to lavish attention on her nipples until she was writhing under him. He continued on down her toned abdomen until he was nosing through her pubic hair, searching for his treasure. 

With his fingers, he gently spread her open, focusing completely on the feast right in front of him. He let her sounds guide him in exploring and learning every inch of her pussy. Licking, sucking, nibbling, he brought her to the edge several times, backing off each time, until she was a writhing mess. Finally, she locked her thighs around his head, fisting handfuls of his still-wet hair as she ground her pussy against his face, chasing the release he had teased her with for so long. She came with his name on her lips, chanting it like a prayer.

Seeing her come undone for him had him ready again, and when she pulled on his hair, he moved up her body, slotting himself between her legs. Green eyes locked on her blue, he pushed inside her, slowly, enjoying the sight of her mouth falling open on a silent cry, her hands falling to the sides gripping the sheets. 

He adjusted their position, her legs on his shoulders, letting him go deeper, hitting all the right spots inside her. His slow pace quickly picked up until he was pounding into her, a string of curses dripping from her lips. Her arms came up to wrap around him, her fingers scratching down his back, the pain strangely egging him on.

When she came, again, the pulsing of her around his cock buried inside her pushed him over the edge, following her with a growl as he spilled inside her.

After, they just lay there, basking in the afterglow. He went to roll off her, but she stopped him, for the first time making use of her supernatural strength. There were no words because none were needed. He rested his head on her shoulder, his breath warm against her neck, her fingers languidly tracing nonsensical patterns over his back.

Finally, they rolled over, and she snuggled into his embrace, letting him wrap her up in his arms. Just as he was about to slip into sleep, he felt her lips against his chest.

“I love you, Dean Winchester.”

“I love you, my beautiful Phoenix,” he mumbled back, his lips against her forehead.

 

* * *

 

 

The End...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proofed by the wonderful [MrsWhozeewhatsis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OxfordCommaLover/pseuds/MrsWhozeewhatsis). Cross-posted on Tumblr [@storytimewithylva](https://storytimewithylva.tumblr.com/). Graphic by the amazing [@soopranatural](https://soopranatural.tumblr.com/).


End file.
